Choking

Conscious Choking

  • Ask, “Are you choking?
  • If a person is unable to cough, breath or speak, activate EMS

Adult and Child

For severe choking in adults and children:

  • Stand behind the person, placing one foot between their feet for stability.
  • Support their chest and lean them forward so the object can come out.
  • Deliver 5 firm back blows between the shoulder blades using the heel of your hand.

    Then:

    • Place the thumb side of your fist just above the navel, below the ribs.
    • Grasp your fist with your other hand.
    • Deliver 5 quick inward and upward abdominal thrusts.
  • Repeat cycles of 5 back blows and 5 abdominal thrusts until:
    • The object is expelled, or
    • The person becomes unresponsive

Infant

  • Support the infant’s face and place body on your forearm.
  • Keep the infant’s head lower than the feet.
  • Administer 5 back blows between the shoulder blades with the palm of your hand.
  • Support the infant’s head. Turn the baby over onto your other forearm. Give 5 chest thrusts.
  • Continue back blows and chest thrusts until object comes out or infant becomes unconscious.

Special Circumstances:

  • If the patient is pregnant or you cannot encircle the abdomen, perform 5 back blows followed by 5 chest thrusts instead of abdominal thrusts.
  • If you are giving someone abdominal thrusts and the person goes unconscious, lower the patient safely to the ground.
  • Activate EMS, send someone to call 911

Unconscious Choking

  • Give 30 chest compressions
  • Open the airway and check the mouth for a foreign body. If something is seen sweep it out with a finger. Use the pinky finger for an infant.
  • Attempt rescue breaths. If breaths do not make the chest rise, reposition head and reattempt rescue breaths.
  • Give 30 more chest compressions
  • Open the airway again and check the mouth for a foreign body. If something is seen sweep it out with a finger. Use the pinky finger for an infant.
  • Give 2 more breaths.
  • If breaths do not make the chest rise, reposition head and reattempt rescue breaths. Continue compressions, foreign body check, breathing attempts until air goes in and chest rises.
  • If victim is still unresponsive and not breathing normally, continue CPR with cycles of 30 compressions to 2 breaths.
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