What to Do If a Person Is Choking and First Aid Treatment

Choking is a frightening and potentially life-threatening situation that happens to anyone, anywhere. It occurs when a foreign object, such as food or a small toy, becomes lodged in a person's throat, blocking their airway. In such situations, immediate action is crucial to prevent severe injury or even death. This article will guide you through what to do if a person is choking and provide essential first aid treatment steps.

Choking due to severe upper airway obstruction is a life-threatening medical emergency that requires fast, appropriate action by anyone available.

• First Aid for Unconscious Choking Person: If a choking victim becomes unconscious, you must perform Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation to save the person's life
• First Aid for a Conscious Choking Person: If the person is conscious but cannot speak or cough, begin the Heimlich Maneuver, a system of abdominal thrusts that clears the throat.

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What's the First Aid Treatment for a Conscious Choking Person?

Choking requires immediate action. If the person cannot speak or cough, begin the Heimlich Maneuver, a system of chest thrusts that work to clear the throat. The abdominal thrust and blow technique is a first aid procedure recommended by the American Red Cross to help alleviate someone's airway. This procedure is only done on someone who is choking and also conscious.

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How To Do Heimlich Maneuver?

1. Stand behind a choking adult, bringing your arms around the victim's abdomen. For a child, kneel down behind.

2. Make a fist with one hand, placing your thumb above the navel or belly button. The opposite hand reaches around the person and grasps the fist to provide support.

3. Bend the victim over at the waist to parallel the upper body with the ground.

4. Deliver five separate forceful blows between the person's shoulder blades with the heel of your hand.

5. Perform five upward chest thrusts, also known as the Heimlich maneuver.

6. Alternate between 5 blows and 5 chest thrusts until the object is expelled 7. Discontinue the blow and upward thrust when the person begins to cough, speak, or lose consciousness

Who Invented Heimlich Maneuver?

Dr. Henry Heimlich invented the Heimlich maneuver in 1974. He discovered the remaining air in a person's lungs could be used to dislodge a foreign object from their esophagus using quick abdominal thrusts. Henry Heimlich intended his maneuver to be practiced by the public rather than exclusively by a health professional.

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For Infants (Under One Year):

1. Back Blows:
   • Lay face down along forearm.
   • Deliver firm blows between the shoulder blades.
2. Chest Thrusts:
   • Turn face up, placing two fingers below the nipple line.
   • Perform chest thrusts.
3. Repeat Sequence until object is expelled or unconsciousness.

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What's the First Aid Treatment for an Unconscious Choking Person?

Treating an unconscious choking person is a critical and potentially life-saving situation. In such cases, you need to perform CPR:

1. Call for Help: The first step is to call 911 or your local emergency number to get professional assistance on the way. Time is crucial in such situations, so don't delay.
2. Position the Person: Carefully lay the unconscious person on their back on a firm surface. Ensure that their head and neck are in a neutral position, as this helps maintain an open airway.
3. Open the Airway: Gently tilt the person's head back and lift the chin to open their airway. This maneuver helps ensure that their tongue and any potential obstructions do not block the airway.
4. Check for Breathing: Look, listen, and feel for signs of breathing. Place your ear close to the person's mouth and nose, look for chest movement, and feel for air on your cheek. Do this for no more than 10 seconds. If there is no breathing or only irregular gasps, the person is not breathing effectively.
5. Perform Rescue Breaths: If the person is not breathing, provide rescue breaths. Pinch the person's nose shut, and give two slow breaths into their mouth, making sure their chest rises with each breath. Each breath should take about one second. Continue this process for about two minutes (or until professional help arrives).
6. Perform Chest Compressions: If the person's chest does not rise when you give rescue breaths or if you are unable to provide rescue breaths, perform chest compressions to try to dislodge the obstruction
7. Check for Object: After every 30 chest compressions, check for the obstructing object and attempt to remove it if visible and easily accessible. Do not blindly sweep the person's mouth with your fingers, as it push the object deeper.
8. Continue Cycles: Continue the cycle of 30 chest compressions and then checking for the object until it is removed, the person starts breathing on their own, or professional help arrives.

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What Causes Choking?

Choking occurs when an object becomes lodged in the throat or windpipe, blocking the flow of air. Several factors can contribute to choking incidents, including:

1. Eating Too Quickly: Swallowing large pieces of food or not chewing food thoroughly increases the risk of choking, especially in young children.
2. Eating Hard or Dry Foods: Foods that are hard, such as nuts or hard candies, or dry, such as crackers or bread, can be difficult to swallow and becomes lodged in the throat.
3. Small Objects: Small objects, toys, or parts of toys can pose a choking hazard, particularly for infants and young children who tend to put objects in their mouths.
4. Medical Conditions: Certain medical conditions, such as dysphagia (difficulty swallowing), neurological disorders, or conditions that affect muscle control, can increase the risk of choking.
5. Alcohol or Drug Use: Alcohol or drug intoxication can impair coordination and increase the likelihood of choking on food or foreign objects.
6. Chronic Conditions: Individuals with conditions such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or a history of strokes are at higher risk of choking.
7. Inhalation of Foreign Objects: Inhaled foreign objects, such as small toys or particles, can block the airway and cause choking.

What are the Symptoms of Choking?

• Difficulty speaking
• Trouble breathing
• Congested face turning to a gray-blue color
• Distress signs, such as pointing to the throat or grasping the neck
• Difficulty or noisy breathing
• Skin, nails, and lips turning blue or dusky
• Squeaky sounds when trying to breathe
• Loss of consciousness

AHA Choking Guidelines 2023

The American Heart Association provides essential guidelines for responding to choking incidents:

1. Recognize Severe Airway Blockage:
   • Look for common signs: inability to breathe, cough, speak, or make any sound.
   • Observe for the universal choking sign - hands clutching the throat.
2. Perform Abdominal Thrusts:
   • Position yourself behind the individual.
   • Place your fist slightly above the belly button.
   • Apply upward and inward thrusts until the obstruction is dislodged or the person becomes unresponsive.
3. Seek Assistance:
   • If the person becomes unresponsive, call for help immediately.
   • Instruct someone to call 911 and retrieve an AED (Automated External Defibrillator).
   • Keep the phone on speaker mode for communication with emergency services.
4. Administer CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) if Necessary:
   • Begin with chest compressions.
   • Follow the ratio of 2 breaths to 30 chest compressions.
   • Repeat the cycle until the person shows signs of recovery or until advanced medical help arrives.
5. Continue CPR Until Signs of Recovery:
   • Maintain CPR until the person demonstrates movement, speaks, or until advanced medical assistance is available.

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These guidelines are designed to save lives and should be followed promptly and efficiently in choking emergencies. Remember to remain calm and focused while providing assistance.

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Why is Choking Response a Critical Component of First Aid Training?

Choking response is critical in first aid training because choking is a common and potentially life-threatening emergency. It can occur suddenly and in various settings, requiring immediate intervention. Proper training equips individuals with the knowledge and skills needed to recognize choking, assess its severity, and administer appropriate techniques to clear the airway obstruction. By including choking response in first aid training, individuals can act quickly and effectively in emergencies, increasing the likelihood of saving lives.

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How Does First Aid Training Prepare You to Handle Choking Emergencies?

First aid training prepares individuals to handle choking emergencies by providing comprehensive instruction on recognizing, assessing, and responding to choking incidents. Participants learn to recognize the signs of choking, such as difficulty breathing and the inability to speak or cough. They are taught various techniques for clearing the airway obstruction, including the Heimlich maneuver for adults and children and back blows and chest thrusts for infants. Additionally, training covers the administration of CPR if the choking victim becomes unconscious. By practicing these skills in a controlled environment, individuals gain the confidence and competence to respond effectively to choking emergencies in real-life situations.

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What Techniques Are Taught During First Aid Training to Manage Choking?

During first aid training, several techniques are taught to manage choking emergencies:

1. Heimlich Maneuver (Abdominal Thrusts): Used for adults and children, this involves applying upward and inward thrusts to the abdomen to dislodge the obstructing object.
2. Back Blows and Chest Thrusts: These techniques are specifically for infants and involve delivering firm blows between the shoulder blades and chest compressions to clear the airway obstruction.
3. CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation): If the choking victim becomes unconscious, first aid training includes instruction on performing chest compressions and rescue breaths according to the latest CPR guidelines.

By mastering these techniques, individuals are prepared to respond promptly and effectively to choking emergencies, potentially saving lives.

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Why Should Parents Receive First Aid Training Focused on Infant Choking?

Parents should receive first aid training focused on infant choking for several reasons:

1. High Risk: Infants are at a higher risk of choking due to their smaller airways and tendency to put objects in their mouths.
2. Immediate Response: Parents need to know how to respond quickly and appropriately if their infant begins choking, as delays in treatment have serious consequences.
3. Specialized Techniques: The techniques for clearing the airway obstruction in infants differ from those used for older children and adults. Parents must learn these specialized techniques to provide effective assistance.
4. Prevention Strategies: First aid training also educate parents on strategies to prevent choking incidents in infants, such as avoiding small toys and foods that pose choking hazards. By receiving training focused on infant choking, parents feel more confident in their ability to protect their child's safety and well-being.

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First aid for choking savse a person’s life. When a person is choking, the airway is blocked, so there’s not enough oxygen reaching the lungs. And without oxygen, brain damage occurs in as little as 4 to 6 minutes. Using CPR and abdominal thrust procedure is simple to learn and is often taught during CPR and First Aid training.

Today, learning CPR is a fast and easy process with a wide range of offline and online CPR Certification courses. Take these live classes anywhere and on any pc and mobile device, making it simple to fit this training into your busy schedule. While there are free CPR classes available, it's important that you get certified by reputable training center. CPR Select has a professional course to fit your needs, whether you are seeking initial certification or BLS recertification for healthcare providers. Hence, by taking BLS online recertification class, you could potentially save a life.

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Sources:

Sumner SM, Grau PE. Emergency! First aid for choking. Nursing. 1982 Jul;12(7):40-9. doi: 10.1097/00152193-198207000-00010. PMID: 6920570.

American Heart Association Guidelines for Choking

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