Choking Reelief for Adults, Children and Infants

Question 1

What is the key to a successful outcome in foreign-body airway obstruction?

Answer 1

Early recognition of foreign-body airway obstruction

Question 2

What are signs of mild airway obstruction?

Answer 2

• Good air exchange
• can cough forcefully
• may wheeze between coughs

Question 3

What are 7 signs of severe airway obstruction?

Answer 3

• Clutching the throat with the thumb and fingers, making the universal choking sign
• unable to speak or cry
• poor or n o air exchange
• Weak, ineffective cough or no cough at all
• high pitched noice while inhaling or no noise at all
• increased respiratory difficulty
• possible cyanosis

Question 4

What are the 3 rescuer actions in mild airway obstruction?

Answer 4

• encourage to keep coughing as long as good air exchange
• Do not interfere w/ victim’s attempts to relieve obstrction - BUT stay and monitor condition
• If mild airway obstruction continues or progresses to signs of severe airway obstruction, activate EMS

Question 5

What are the 4 rescuer actions in severe airway obstrction?

Answer 5

• Identify if it is airway obstruction
• Take steps immediately to relieve obstruction
• If continues, and victim becomes unresponsive START CPR
• If you are not alone, send someone to active EMS.
• If you are alone, provide 2 minute sof CPR before leaving to activate EMS

Question 6

What steps would you use with an adul to immediately relieve the severe obstruction?

Answer 6

• abdominal thrusts/Heimlich

- it may be necessary to repeat several times

Question 7

What if the victim is obese or pregant?

Answer 7

• perform chest thrusts

Question 8

What are the 4 steps in choking relief of an UNresponsive adult or child

Answer 8

1. Shout for help - to activate EMS
2. Gently lower the victim to the gorund if you see he is becoming unresponsive
3. Begin cpr starting with chest compressions - DO NOT CHECK FOR A PULSE
4. Each time you open the airway to give breaths open it wide to look for the object. If you see it try to remove it with your finger. If not, continue CPR activate EMS if not already done so.

Question 9

What happens to the larnyx when a choking victim loses consciousness?

Answer 9

The larnyx muscles relax

Question 10

Sometimes when a vcitim loses consciousness why might you be able to give somewhat effective rescue breaths?

Answer 10

With the larnyx relaxed a severe obstruction may become a partial obstruction.

Question 11

What can happen in an unresponsive choking victim during while giving chest compressions that might help dislodge the obstruction.

Answer 11

Chest compressions may create as much force as abdodminal thrusts and may help expel the object.

Question 12

How can you tell if you have successfully removed an airway obstrcution in an unresponsive victim?

Answer 12

• you feel air movement and see chest rise when giving breaths
• you saw and removed the object

Question 13

What do you do after the foreign object is removed?

Answer 13

• check for responsiveness
• check breathing and pulse
• confirm EMS has been activated
• provide high quality CPR or rescue breathing as needed.

Question 14

If a victim becomes responsive after the foreign object is removed what should you recommend he do?

Answer 14

• Seek medical attention for potential complications from abdominal thrusts

Question 15

Do you use abdominal thrusts in an infant choking?

Answer 15

No. You use back slaps

Question 16

Steps for choking relief in an infant:

Answer 16

1. Kneel or sit with infant in your lap
2. If easy to do, remove clothing
3. Hold infant facedown, head slightly lower than chest and resting on your forearm. Support jaw and head w/ your hand.
4. 5 back slaps forcefully btwn shoulder blades using heel of hand using sufficient force
5. Turn the infant over use hands and forearms to cradle
6. Turn the infant as a unit. Keep the infant’s head lower than the trunk
7. 5 quick downard chest thrust about 1 per sec. in middle of chest - lower half of breastbone.
8. Repeat until until object is removed or infant becomes unresponsive.

Question 17

What are the 3 steps in choking relief in an unresponsive infant

Answer 17

1. Shout for help - send to activate EMS. Place infant on a firm flat surface
2. Begin CPR w/ 1 extra step - opening mouth each time you open the airway to look for the object, removing it if easily done so.
3. After about 2 minutes of CPR activate EMS if not already done.

Question 18

Do you check for a pulse before beginning CPR on an unresponsive choking infant?

Answer 18

No

Question 19

Do you perform blind finger sweeps on an adult, child or infant?

Answer 19

No - may push the object further back, causing further obstruction or injury.