Choking : First aid-Conditions-Prevention
What is Choking: First aid?
Choking is a medical emergency that occurs when food or a foreign object becomes lodged in a person's throat, blocking the airway. It can happen to anyone, regardless of age or health.
When someone is choking, they are unable to speak or breathe properly, and immediate action must be taken to clear the airway. Choking can be a terrifying experience for both the person experiencing it and those around them, but knowing the proper first aid techniques can help save a life.
Symptoms of choking
Someone may be choking if they:
seize their throat (prevalent signal of choking)
cough, wheeze or gag
have problem respiration, speaking or swallowing
make a whistling or ‘crowing' noise
can not make any sound at all
don't have any air coming out of their nostril and mouth
have blue lips, face, earlobes or fingernails
are very agitated
lose attention
What should I do in an emergency?
If someone is choking, it means they can't breathe and there is a foreign object in their throat or windpipe. If this happens to an adult, it's often because of something they ate. Young children often swallow small objects, which can block their airways. When this happens, the first step is to try to remove the obstruction as quickly as possible using basic first aid techniques.
If someone is choking, they may be making these signals: -Choking sounds -A bulging throat or neck -Difficulty breathing
Inability to talk
Difficulty breathing or noisy breathing
Squeaky sounds when trying to breathe
Having a cough may be weak or forceful.
The skin around your lips and nails will turn blue or dusky when you are very sick.
A person's skin turns pale or blue when they are feeling sick.
Loss of consciousness
If a person is coughing and can't speak, they should cry or laugh loudly. If the person is choking and can't breathe, they should try to cough forcefully five times, and then call for help.
Give 5 back blows. If someone is choking, stand to the side and just behind them. Kneel down behind them and place one arm across their chest. Bend them over at the waist so that their upper body is parallel to the ground. Deliver five consecutive back blows between the person's shoulder blades.Press down on the leaf with the heel of your hand.
Give 5 abdominal thrusts.Do five abdominal thrusts (the Heimlich maneuver).
Alternate between 5 blows and 5 thrusts until the blockage is dislodged.
The American Heart Association doesn't only teach the abdominal thrust procedures - it's okay to use other techniques, too. It's okay if you haven't learned the back blow technique. Both approaches are acceptable.
To perform the Heimlich maneuver on someone else: Put your hands around their waist and push very hard on their stomach.
Stand behind the other person.To stay safe while performing CPR, keep one foot slightly in front of the other and hold onto the person's waist. Slightly tilt the person forward so that you can begin chest compressions. If a child is choking, kneel down behind him and perform emergency CPR.
Make a fist with one hand.Place the acupuncture needle above the person's navel.
Grip the fist with the other hand.Push hard on the person's abdomen with a quick upward thrust.
Do between six and 10 abdominal thrusts. until the blockage is dislodged.
If you are the only person in the area, perform back blows and abdominal thrusts before calling 911 or your local emergency number.If someone else is available, have them call for help while you provide first aid.
If someone becomes unconscious, perform CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) with chest compressions and rescue breaths.
To perform the Heimlich maneuver on yourself: Put your hands on your lower abdomen and push hard with your abdominal muscles.
If you're choking and need help, call 911 or your local emergency number. Even if you can't do anything else to save yourself, you can still perform abdominal thrusts to try to dislodge the object.
Place a fist slightly above your navel.
Grasp your fistPlace one hand on a hard surface and bend over it with the other.
Shove your fist inward and upward.
To clear the airway of a pregnant woman or obese person: If you are a pregnant woman or someone who is overweight, you can use these steps to clear your airway: 1) Put your hands over your nose and mouth. 2) Take a deep breath and hold it in for as long as possible. 3) Finally, exhale slowly and loudly.
Position your hands a little bit higherThe Heimlich maneuver is more effective if it is performed at the base of the breastbone just above the junction of the lowest ribs.
Proceed as with the Heimlich maneuver,Hit the person in the chest with a quick thrust.
RepeatWait until the obstruction is dislodged.If someone becomes unconscious, follow these steps.
To clear the airway of an unconscious person: Make sure the person's mouth and nose are clear by pushing anything that may be blocking their airway (e.g., food, vomit, hair, etc.) out of their mouth and nose.
Lower the personSit on the floor with your back facing the wall and arms out to the side.
Clear the airway. If you see a blockage in the back of your throat or high up in your throat, reach into your mouth and sweep it out. Don't try to remove the obstruction with your hands if you can't see what's causing the problem. Be careful not to push the obstruction any deeper into your airway. Young children should not read this passage.
Begin CPRIf the object does not come out after you try the above measures, you may need to perform chest compressions. Remember to check the person's mouth periodically.
If an infant younger than one year old is choking, give first aid until emergency personnel arrive. This includes clearing the infant's airway using a Heimlich maneuver.
Place the infant facedown on your lap.Hold the infant's head and neck with one hand, and support its head and body with your other arm, placing its head lower than its trunk.
Thump the infant gently but firmlyBlow into the baby's back five times with your hand held in the middle. This will release the obstruction. Keep your fingers pointed up to avoid hitting the baby in the head.
Turn the infant faceup on your forearm,If the infant is not breathing, place them on their back with their head lower than their trunk. With two fingers placed at the center of the infant's breastbone, give five quick chest compressions. Push down about 1 1/2 inches and allow the chest to rise again between each compression.
Repeat the back blows and chest thrustsIf you can't breathe, call for emergency help.
Begin infant CPRIf one of these techniques opens the airway, but the infant does not resume breathing, then something is wrong.
If the child is older than 1 year old and conscious, give back thrusts only. Be careful not to use too much force, as this could damage the ribs or internal organs.
Be prepared for these situations by learning the Heimlich maneuver and CPR in a certified first-aid training course.
