First Aid Treatment For Choking Adult, Child & Infant

Patient Care for Choking Adult
STOP - Assess and observe the scene
THINK - Consider your safety and form action plan
ACT - Check responsiveness; If the patient is conscious, grasping their throat, may not be breathing and cannot make a noise; Perform Back Blows, Abdominal Thrusts or Chest Thrusts
Ask the patient - Are You Choking? If YES Alert EMS & Give Emergency Care
Emergency Care Begin with Five Back Blows
Take a position to the side and slightly behind the patient
Support the chest with one hand and lean the patient forward
Firmly strike the patient between the shoulder blades with the heel of one hand up to five times
If they are still choking, give abdominal thrusts or chest thrusts
If the patient becomes unconscious give CPR
Emergency Care If Person is NOT Pregnant or Obese
Stand behind the patient and place your arms around their waist
Locate the thrust site which is just above the naval and make a fist placing the thumb side on the thrust site
Place your other hand over the outside of the fist bending your arms and elbows outward to avoid squeezing the rib cage
Perform five inward and upward thrusts
If they are still choking return to back blows
If the patient becomes unconscious give CPR
Emergency Care If Person IS Pregnant or Obese
Stand behind the patient and place your arms around their body under the armpits
Locate the thrust site which is in the center of the chest between the nipples and make a fist placing the thumb side on the thrust site
Place your other hand over the outside of the fist performing inward thrusts until the object is expelled or the patient becomes unconscious
If they are still choking return to back blows
If the patient becomes unconscious give CPR

Patient Care for Choking Child
STOP - Ask the child Are You Choking?
THINK - Is the airway completely or severely blocked?
ACT - Send someone to Alert EMS
Take a position slightly behind the child providing support by placing one arm diagonally across the chest and lean the child forward
Deliver Five forceful back blows by striking between the child's shoulders with the heel of your other hand
If these blows do not dislodge the object give five Abdominal Thrusts
Perform five inward and upward thrusts which should be a separate distinct movement
Continue to give a combination of five back blows and five abdominal thrusts until the object is forced out, the child can breathe, speak or cough forcefully or the child becomes unconscious
If the child becomes unconscious give CPR; If alone, give CPR for five cycles of 30 compressions and 2 rescue breaths, then call EMS
Children who receive emergency care for choking must receive medical evaluation to rule out any life threatening complications

Patient Care for Choking Infant
STOP - Is the infant choking?
THINK - Is the airway completely or severely blocked?
ACT - Send someone to Alert EMS
Place the infant's stomach on your forearm and support the infant's head by placing the jaw on your fingers
With the infant's head slightly lower than the body, deliver five forceful back blows between the shoulder blades with the heel of your hand
If the object is not dislodged, support the infant's head while keeping the spine straight and turn the infant over
Locate the chest thrust compression site - Using an imaginary line drawn between the nipples, place your index finger on this line in the middle of the chest; Place two fingers below the line and lift your index finger
With the infant's head lower than the body, provide 5 Chest Thrusts
If the object is not dislodged, repeat back blows and chest thrusts and continue until the object is dislodged or the infant becomes unresponsive
If the infant becomes unresponsive, give CPR; If alone, provide CPR for two minutes then alert EMS
Once EMS is Alerted, continue with your emergency care

First Aid Advice & Information for Choking Adults, Children and Infants is for guidance only - Click Here to get Trained in CPR & First Aid