If a person is choking, quick action is crucial to help clear the obstruction from their airway.
Here are the steps to follow:
- Assess the severity: Determine how severe the choking is. If the person can cough forcefully, speak, or breathe, then their airway is partially blocked. Encourage them to continue coughing to try to clear the obstruction.
- If the person cannot cough, speak, or breathe effectively (complete airway obstruction):
- Step 1: Encourage coughing: Initially, encourage the person to cough to try to clear the object.
- Step 2: Perform abdominal thrusts (Heimlich maneuver):
- Stand behind the person and slightly to one side.
- Place your arms around the person’s waist.
- Make a fist with one hand and place the thumb side against the person’s abdomen, slightly above the navel and well below the breastbone.
- Grasp your fist with your other hand and give quick, inward and upward thrusts.
- Repeat thrusts until the object is dislodged or the person becomes unconscious.
- If the person becomes unconscious, carefully lower them to the ground, call emergency services (911 or your local emergency number), and start CPR.
- Perform CPR if unconscious: If the person becomes unconscious:
- Lower them gently to the ground.
- Call emergency services (911 or your local emergency number) immediately.
- Start CPR, beginning with chest compressions. Check the mouth for any visible object and remove it if possible.
- Continue until help arrives: Continue providing assistance until trained medical help arrives or the person’s condition improves.
It’s essential to act quickly but calmly in a choking situation. If the person is able to cough forcefully, speak, or breathe, encourage them to keep trying to clear the object themselves. However, if they cannot breathe or cough effectively, prompt action with abdominal thrusts (Heimlich maneuver) is necessary. Always seek medical attention even if the object is dislodged to ensure there are no complications or remaining issues.