How to Save a Choking Victim 101

rubiyatrumel123
Nov 22, 2020
4 min read

This week's topic is all about Choking and the Heimlich Maneuver.

Choking happens when someone's airway suddenly gets blocked, either fully or partly, so they can't breathe.

In adults, a piece of food often is the culprit. Young children often swallow small objects. Because choking cuts off oxygen to the lungs and brain, give first aid as quickly as possible. Lack of oxygen to the brain for more than 4 minutes may cause brain damage or death.

🚨 It is important for all people to recognize and know how to handle choking at home and in public places. Experts recommend using abdominal thrusts to treat someone who is choking.

Signs that Someone is Choking

One of most common ways to identify a choking victim is from The Universal Sign of Choking.

The universal sign of choking is the act of clutching both hands over your windpipe, is the standard way to inform people that you're choking. However, if someone doesn't know this sign or is incapable of making it, you should be aware of other ways to tell if someone is choking.

Here are four additional signs of choking you should be aware of.

1. Hand Signals

If someone doesn't know the universal sign for choking, whether they're a child or someone who's too frantic to remember, they may just look at you with panicked eyes and point to their throat to indicate that something is wrong.
Children may also panic and begin waving their arms around in the air to get someone's attention.

2. Struggling to Breathe

If you notice a person having difficulty breathing, they may be choking. Other signs include gagging, wheezing, and coughing. If the object is completely blocking their airway, they may not be able to talk or breath at all.
Infants may have a weak cry or cough or suddenly go silent.

3. Bluish Lips and Skin

Since choking victims are suffocating, they're not able to get enough oxygen to their blood. Because of this, their face, lips, and fingertips may begin to turn blue.
This sign may not appear immediately because it takes some time for the blood to become less oxygenated, so it's best to be aware of other signs in addition to this one.

4. Passing Out

Due to the lack of oxygen getting to the brain, choking victims may eventually pass out. You can determine that a foreign object in their trachea was the cause of their passing out if they show other signs of choking.
If you don't see their chest rising and falling, can't hear them breathing, or know they had something in their mouth and may now be choking on it, begin to take steps to unblock their airway.

What do I do now?

If the person is able to cough forcefully, the person should keep coughing.

If the person is choking and can't talk, cry or laugh forcefully, the American Red Cross recommends a "five-and-five" approach to delivering first aid:

Give 5 back blows. Stand to the side and just behind a choking adult. For a child, kneel down behind. Place one arm across the person's chest for support. Bend the person over at the waist so that the upper body is parallel with the ground. Deliver five separate back blows between the person's shoulder blades with the heel of your hand.
Give 5 abdominal thrusts. Perform five abdominal thrusts (also known as the Heimlich maneuver).
Alternate between 5 blows and 5 thrusts until the blockage is dislodged.

Here is an all in one video that demonstrates exactly what to do when someone is choking from all age ranges including yourself:

The Heimlich Maneuver

The Heimlich Maneuver is an emergency rescue procedure for application to someone choking on a foreign object, in which the rescuer places a fist between the victim's lower ribs or upper abdomen from behind and exerts sudden pressure in the form of thrusts of sufficient force to help eject the object from the windpipe.

To perform abdominal thrusts (Heimlich maneuver) on someone else:

Stand behind the person. Place one foot slightly in front of the other for balance. Wrap your arms around the waist. Tip the person forward slightly. If a child is choking, kneel down behind the child.
Make a fist with one hand. Position it slightly above the person's navel.
Grasp the fist with the other hand. Press hard into the abdomen with a quick, upward thrust — as if trying to lift the person up.
Perform between six and 10 abdominal thrusts until the blockage is dislodged.

Here is a video of how to perform this technique done by cardiac nurse, Joshua Moeckly:

Prevent from Choking

You can prevent choking in adults by following these precautionary measures:

Cut food into small pieces.
Chew food slowly and thoroughly, especially if wearing dentures.
Avoid laughing and talking while chewing and swallowing.
Avoid excessive intake of alcohol before and during meals.

You can prevent choking in infants and children by following these precautionary measures:

Keep marbles, beads, thumbtacks, latex balloons, coins, and other small toys and objects out of reach, particularly in children younger than 4 years old.
Prevent children from walking, running, or playing when they have food and toys in their mouth.
Youngsters under the age of 4 should not be fed foods that can easily become lodged in the throat, such as hot dogs, nuts, chunks of meat or cheese, grapes, hard or sticky candy, popcorn, chunks of peanut butter, or raw carrots.
Supervise mealtimes with young children.
Prevent older siblings from giving a dangerous food or toy to a young child.

Now you are prepared and can take proper precautions when you encounter such situation. Stay tuned for more!