Choking Reelief for Adults, Children and Infants Flashcards
What is the key to a successful outcome in foreign-body airway obstruction?
Early recognition of foreign-body airway obstruction
What are signs of mild airway obstruction?
- Good air exchange
- can cough forcefully
- may wheeze between coughs
What are 7 signs of severe airway obstruction?
- 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
What are the 3 rescuer actions in mild airway obstruction?
- 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
What are the 4 rescuer actions in severe airway obstrction?
- 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
What steps would you use with an adul to immediately relieve the severe obstruction?
- abdominal thrusts/Heimlich
- it may be necessary to repeat several times
What if the victim is obese or pregant?
- perform chest thrusts
What are the 4 steps in choking relief of an UNresponsive adult or child
- Shout for help - to activate EMS
- Gently lower the victim to the gorund if you see he is becoming unresponsive
- Begin cpr starting with chest compressions - DO NOT CHECK FOR A PULSE
- 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.
What happens to the larnyx when a choking victim loses consciousness?
The larnyx muscles relax
Sometimes when a vcitim loses consciousness why might you be able to give somewhat effective rescue breaths?
With the larnyx relaxed a severe obstruction may become a partial obstruction.
What can happen in an unresponsive choking victim during while giving chest compressions that might help dislodge the obstruction.
Chest compressions may create as much force as abdodminal thrusts and may help expel the object.
How can you tell if you have successfully removed an airway obstrcution in an unresponsive victim?
- you feel air movement and see chest rise when giving breaths
- you saw and removed the object
What do you do after the foreign object is removed?
- check for responsiveness
- check breathing and pulse
- confirm EMS has been activated
- provide high quality CPR or rescue breathing as needed.
If a victim becomes responsive after the foreign object is removed what should you recommend he do?
- Seek medical attention for potential complications from abdominal thrusts
Do you use abdominal thrusts in an infant choking?
No. You use back slaps