CHOKING CARE





Did you know that choking is a life-threatening emergency? It scares me to imagine a loved one choking and not being able to help them. However, I have recently gained knowledge on how to perform first aid for choking victims and I would like to share it with others. Chances are, we have all either encountered someone who was choking or have experienced it ourselves.


Why do we choke?  

A victim is choking when the airway is obstructed either partially or fully. This can result from food or other foreign bodies in the mouth; the tongue (in an unresponsive victim) & the teeth.


An Asian woman is choking on some food.








Do you know choking may be either mild or severe? 

With a mild obstruction, the victim coughs forcefully in an endeavor to expel the object; wheezing or pitched sounds with breath are heard. The victim shouldn't be interrupted in this act.

In the event of severe obstruction, the victim may experience difficulty breathing, coughing weakly or not at all, and clutching their throat with a panicked expression. If you are caring for a responsive choking victim, it is important to take immediate action to help them. Once you have assisted, contact emergency services for further assistance.



Steps in giving choking care to a responsive adult/ child


  • Stand behind the victim and reach around to the abdomen with one leg forward between the victim's legs keeping your head slightly to the side. With a small child, kneel behind the child while with a victim who is much taller than you should kneel or sit.


  • Make a fist with one hand and place the thumb side of the fist against the victim's abdomen just above the navel.

















  • Grasp your fist with your other hand and thrust inwardly and upwardly into the victim's abdomen with quick jerks. 


                           

Continue the abdominal thrust until the victim expels the object or becomes unresponsive.

 

       


  • When the victim becomes unresponsive quickly and carefully lower the victim with his/her back on the floor and make sure that 9-1-1 has been called.  



Self-treatment -:   

 If you are choking when alone, you can perform a self-administered abdominal thrust by using your hands or leaning over a firm object like a chair to dislodge the obstructing object.  

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