A Crash Course To First-Aid Choking

najrandilmohamud
Nov 21, 2020
4 min read

Updated: Nov 21, 2020

Imagine you are at a dinner party. Everyone is at the table eating, and suddenly the person next to you starts choking and is unable to breathe. What do you do? This article explains how to spot symptoms of choking and how to treat them in situations like these.

A broad definition of choking

Choking happens when the throat is blocked with a foreign object. Air flow is compromised and the victim begins to run out of air. This is a medical emergency because the brain stops receiving oxygen.

The most common way adults choke is by having a piece of food stuck in their throat.

Symptoms

A universal choking sign exists: if someone has their hands clutched to their throat, it is very likely that the person is choking.

Other symptoms include:

Incapacity to speak
Difficulty breathing or noisy breathing
Squeaks while trying to breathe
Coughing
Flushed skin that turns blue or pale
Blue skin, nails and lips
Unconsciousness

Treatment

Now let’s address the most important topic. How to treat someone who is choking.

*Remember, before doing anything, do a quick scene survey and get someone to call 911. It is important to be in safe zone to prevent any further damage.

There are three stages observed when someone chokes.

1. The victim is coughing loudly and is still able to speak and make noises. At this point, encourage the person to cough and to try to dislodge the object from their airway. Position yourself and be prepared to give abdominal thrusts or back blows. Place one foot in front between the victim’s legs, wrap your arms around their waist and tip the person forward slightly. Let your patient cough the object out.

2. If the victim stops coughing and making noise but is still conscious, alternate between giving 5 backs blows and 5 abdominal thrusts. Continue until the airway is cleared. It is highly recommended to start with back blows as abdominal may hurt internal organs on occasions.

How to give back blows:

-For an adult, stand to the side and slightly behind the victim. For a child, kneel down behind.

-For both, bend the affected person at the waist so that the body is almost parallel to the ground.

-Give 5 back blows between the shoulder blades. Be sure to use the heel of your hand for more efficiency and to avoid injury to your hand.

How to perform abdominal thrusts also known as the Heimlich maneuver:

-For an adult, start by positioning yourself as described in stage 1 or as shown in the poster. For a child, kneel down behind.

-Then, make a fist with one hand, and envelope it (the fist) with your other hand.

-Position your wrapped fist to the bellybutton of the choking victim.

-Push hard and lift upwards to make the person vomit.

3. The last stage is when the choking victim loses consciousness. At this stage, lower the person on his/her back on the floor with arms on the side. Check the person’s mouth and throat. If you see, and only if you see the object blocking the airway, reach with your fingers and carefully pull it out. If you do not see anything, begin CPR and check the mouth every few minutes. (see in poster above)

Exceptions and modifications

For a pregnant woman or a person of with high body mass, the procedure is modified. In these cases, chest thrusts are performed. Place your fist a bit higher at the base of the breastbone, just above the joining of the lowest ribs. Then proceed as you would when performing the Heimlich Maneuver.
For people on wheelchairs, immediately skip to the CPR technique that you would perform at the third stage.
For infants less than a year old, the procedure is rather different.

-Begin by sitting down and holding the child facedown on your forearm. Your forearm should rest on your thigh. With your hand, support the head and neck and place the head lower than the trunk.

-Thump the middle of the back gently but firmly. Use the heel of your hand.

-Turn the infant face up. If the child is still not breathing, use two fingers to give 5 chest compressions. Again, perform the chest compressions gently but firmly (about 1.5 inches deep in the chest.

-If the infant is still not breathing, continue the back blows and chest compressions while someone calls 911.

-Start CPR if the airway is cleared but the infant is not breathing.

And, what if you’re alone and choking? In this instance, the first thing to do is call 911. As you wait for help, you can perform abdominal thrusts on yourself. (see image in poster "The Heimlich Maneuver" above )

-Place your fist above your belly button. Hold your fist with your other hand and bend over a hard surface (ex. Countertop, table, chair. etc)

-Push your fist inward and lift.

Anyone can choke at any moment. It is important to be aware of the different ways to treat choking. These skills can save a life.

I hope you learned a few things today

Until next time ;)

Watch a video to understand the techniques discussed in this article better.