Choking

Question 1

How to care for choking adults and children?

Answer 1

Give abdominal thrusts:

1) get help
2) go behind victim’s waist
3) wrap waist with one fist and thumb sl above navel well below breastbone
4) use other hand for support
5) thrust abd till item = dislodged or victim = unresponsive

ENCOURAGE RESPONSIVE VICTIM TO SEEK MEDICAL ATTN FOR COMPLICATIONS OF ABD THRUSTS

Question 2

How to care for choking infant?

Answer 2

1) get help
2) cradle infant face down on your forearm resting on your thigh
3) give 5 back slaps w/ heel of opposite hand b/w infant’s shoulder blades
4) cradle infant to face up on your other forearm resting on your thigh
5) give 5 chest thrusts w/ 2 fingers of opposite hand for 1 thrust per second
6) rpt cradling method until item = dislodged or victim = unresponsive

Question 3

How to care for choking unresponsive adult, child, and infant?

Answer 3

1) get help. Activate emergency response system
2) start CPR; don’t check for pulse
3) each time of giving rescue breaths, see if you can look into airway and dislodge item
4) cont CPR and rescue breaths prn till advanced providers arrive

Question 4

How to care for choking pregnancies or obese victims?

Answer 4

Do chest thrusts instead of abd thrusts

Question 5

Signs of mild vs severe airway obstruction

Answer 5

Wheezing, good air exchange, coughing forcefully vs cyanosis, clutching throat, high pitched noise while inhaling, unable to speak or cry, poor to no air exchange, weak cough