What is choking?
- Choking occurs when someone’s airway suddenly becomes blocked, either partially or totally, preventing breathing.
- If not addressed rapidly this may result in loss of consciousness and/or cardiac arrest.
How do I identify someone who may be choking?
- Persons may place both hands around the neck (Universal sign of choking).
- Persons may have coughing, wheezing, gagging, or change in color (blue lips or red face).
- When choking is severe patients may not be able to speak, cry, cough, or breathe.
What do you do if you suspect a person is choking?
Adults and Child over 1 year old :
- Encourage person to cough to clear the blockage
- Ask the person to spit out the object if it is in their mouth
- Do not put fingers into the person’s mouth
- If this does not work: perform abdominal thrusts
- Stand behind the person choking
- Place your arms around their waist and bend them forward
- Clench 1 fist and place above the belly button.
- Put other hand on top of fist and pull sharply inwards and upwards
- Repeat this movement up to 5 times.
- If this does not clear the airway, call emergency services
Infants (Up to 1 year old):
- If you can see an object in the mouth, try to remove it.
- Do not perform blind finger sweeps of the mouth (it may push the object further in).
- Lay infant face down along your thighs supporting their head with your hand.
- Give 5 sharp back blows with the heel of 1 hand in the middle of the back between the shoulder blades.
*If person loses consciousness or stops breathing, perform CPR with chest compressions