Choking - First Aid and Emergency Treatment Guide
Overview
- Occurs when foreign object is lodged in windpipe
- This blocks oxygen supply to brain
- In adults, choking occurs due to food
- In children it also occurs on swallowing an object
- Choking could be fatal, if first aid not given
Causes
- Swallowing a large piece of food
- Swallowing food that is not well chewed
- Eating food quickly
- Eating and talking
- Consuming alcohol before a meal
- Wearing dentures
- Being careless about children
- Walking / playing with food in mouth
Symptoms
- Hands will grasp throat
- Breathlessness
- Noisy breathing
- Inability to cough
- Skin, nails and lips may turn blue
- Loss of consciousness
Treatment
- Heimlich maneuver and CPR -2 techniques
- If person is unable to talk, try Heimlich maneuver
- Forces the diaphragm upto the lungs
- Creates an artificial cough
Heimlich Maneuver on a Standing Person
- Stand behind the person
- Form a fist with one hand
- Place fist below ribcage, thumb inward
- Hold the fist with other hand
- Keep arms off ribcage
- Give four inward and upward thrust
- Repeat till the object
is ejected
- Same method is used for a child too
Heimlich Maneuver On an Unconscious Person
- If person is lying down, straddle the person with your knees
- Place heel of one hand above waistline
- Place other hand over the first
- Give four inward and upward thrust
- Repeat till object is coughed out
Heimlich Maneuver On an Infant
- Place your forearm over your raised knees
- Place the infant face down over your fore arm
- Give four blows using the heel of your hand
- Repeat till object comes out
- If it does not work, turn the baby
- Place two fingers an inch below the imaginary line connecting nipples
- Give four thrusts forcefully to bring out the object
- Repeat if required
Prevention
- While eating, concentrate on the task
- Do not eat quickly, without chewing
- Supervise children while they eat
- Give easily chewable, soft food to children
- Do not leave tiny objects within the reach of children