Choking is a blockage of the upper airway by food or other objects, which prevents a person from breathing effectively. Choking can cause a simple coughing fit, but complete blockage of the airway may lead to death.
Choking symptoms and signs
If an adult is choking, you may observe the following behaviors.
Coughing or gagging.
Hand signals and panic. (sometimes pointing to the throat)
Sudden inability to talk.
Clutching the throat. (The natural response to choking is to grab the throat with one or both hands. This is the universal choking sign and a way of telling people that you are choking)
Wheezing.
Passing out.
Turning blue:- Cyanosis, a blue coloring to the skin, can be seen earliest around the face, lips, and fingernail beds, but other critical choking signs would appear first.
If an infant is choking, more attention must be paid to an infant’s behavior. They cannot be taught the universal choking sign.
Difficulty in breathing.
Week cry, weak cough, or both.
Choking prevents oxygen from getting to the brain and lungs. Lack of oxygen to the brain for more than 4 minutes may cause brain damage or death. So it is important to give first-aid as quickly as possible.
Choking first-aid
If the person is an adult,
Give 5 back slaps.
Bend the person over at the waist so that the upper body is parallel with the ground.
Place one arm across the person’s chest for support.
Deliver 5 separate back slaps between the person’s shoulder blades with the heel of your hand.
Give abdominal thrusts.
If back slaps fail to relieve the airway obstruction, use abdominal thrusts. A series of under the diaphragm abdominal thrusts are recommended for a person who is choking on a piece of food or a foreign object. This technique is used only when a person is choking due to something blocking the airway. When applying the abdominal thrusts be careful not to use too much force so you don’t damage the ribs or internal organs. Abdominal thrusts lift the diaphragm and force enough air from the lungs to create an artificial cough. This cough is intended to move air through the windpipe, pushing, and expelling the obstruction out of the airway and mouth.
Stand behind the person.
Reach around the person’s waist.
Position one clenched fist above the navel and below the rib cage.
Grasp your fist with your other hand.
Pull the clenched fist sharply and directly backward and upward under the rib cage 5 times quickly.
Continue uninterrupted until the obstruction is relieved.
Abdominal thrusts can be painful and even injure the person. Only use abdominal thrusts in actual emergencies, when it is certain that the person is choking.
If the person is obese or pregnant
Give chest compressions instead of abdominal thrusts.
Position your hands a little bit higher than with abdominal thrusts, at the base of the breastbone, just above the joining of the lowest ribs.
Press hard into the chest, with a quick thrust.
Repeat until the food or other blockage is dislodged.
If the person is an infant younger than age 1
Give backslaps
Assume a seated position and hold the infant facedown on your forearm, which is resting on your thigh.
Support the infant’s head and neck with your hand and place the head lower than the trunk.
Thump the infant gently but firmly on the middle of the back using the heel of your hand.
The combination of gravity and the back blows should release the blocking object. Keep your fingers pointed up to avoid hitting the infant in the back of the head.
If they aren't responsive and aren't breathing, you should begin cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) with chest compression.
Chamika Harshani
References
https://www.sja.org.uk/get-advice/first-aid-advice/choking/
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/choking-and-the-heimlich-maneuver
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/ConditionsAndTreatments/choking
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