Choking

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 is a true medical emergency that requires fast, appropriate action by anyone available. Emergency medical teams may not arrive in time to save a choking person's life.

Choking Symptoms

*Universal Sign Of Choking

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 around you that you are choking.
  
• Wheezing (A whistling noise in the chest during breathing. Wheezing occurs when the airways are narrowed or compressed.)
  
• Passing out
  
• Turning blue: a blue coloring to the skin, can be seen earliest around the face, lips, and fingernail beds. You may see this, 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 breathing
  
• Weak cry, weak cough, or both

Treatment for adult or child

Your aims are to remove the obstruction and to arrange urgent removal to hospital if necessary.

If the obstruction （障碍物） is mild

• Encourage them to continue coughing.
• Remove any obvious obstruction from the mouth.

If the obstruction is severe

• Give up to five back blows.
• Check the mouth and remove any obvious obstruction.

If the obstruction is still present:

• Give up to five abdominal thrusts / heimlich manoeuvre*
• Check the mouth and remove any obvious obstruction.

If the obstruction does not clear after three cycles of back blows and abdominal thrusts:

• Dial 999 for an ambulance.
• Continue until help arrives.

Treatment for infants:

Your aims are to remove the obstruction and to arrange urgent removal to hospital if necessary.

If the infant is distressed, is unable to cry, cough, or breathe:

• Lay them face down along your forearm, with their head low, and support the back and head.
• Give up to five back blows, with the heel of your hand.
• Check the infant's mouth; remove any obvious obstructions.
• Do not do a finger sweep of the mouth.

If the obstruction is still present:

• Turn the infant onto his back and give up to five chest thrusts.
• Use two fingers, push inwards and upwards (towards the head) against the infants breastbone, one finger's breadth below the nipple line.
• The aim is to relieve the obstruction with each chest thrust rather than necessarily doing all five.

OR

• Check the mouth.

If the obstruction does not clear after three cycles of back blows and chest thrusts:

• Dial 999 for an ambulance.
• Continue until help arrives.