Kathleen Blair-Harmon, RN

1
Relief of Choking in Victims 1 Year of Age and
Older

• Kathleen Blair-Harmon, RN

2
Relief of Choking

• This presentation will discuss common
• causes of choking and actions to relieve
• choking also known as foreign-body
• airway obstruction (FBAO)

3
Relief of Choking

• Learning Objective
• At the completion of this presentation the
• participant will be able to show how to relieve
• choking in the responsive and unresponsive
• victim over 1 year of age.

4
Relief of Choking

• The key to a successful outcome is the early
  recognition of an airway obstruction.
• Foreign bodies can cause either mild or severe
  airway obstruction

5
Relief of Choking

• Signs of mild airway obstruction are
• Good air exchange
• Responsive and can cough forcefully
• May wheeze between coughs
• As long as good air exchange continues, simply
  encourage the victim to continue spontaneous
  coughing and breathing efforts.
• Do not interfere with the victims attempts to
  expel the foreign body
• Stay with the victim and monitor the situation
• If the mild obstruction persists, activate the
  emergency response system (911)

6
Relief of Choking

• It is important to recognize the signs and
• symptoms of a severe airway obstruction.
• Poor or no air exchange
• Weak ineffective cough or no cough
• High-pitched noise while inhaling/no noise at all
• Increased respiratory difficulty
• Cyanosis
• Unable to speak
• Making the universal choking sign
• Unable to move air

7
Relief of Choking

• Universal Choking Sign

Clutching the neck with the thumb and fingers
8
Relief of Choking

• Step 1
• Ask, "Are you choking?" Stay calm, and try to
  keep the victim calm as well.

9
Relief of Choking

• Step 2 It is best to point to a specific
• person and tell him to call
• 911. Instruct the person to
• tell the operator that someone is
  choking. Don't just call out
• for anyone to call 911, as
• bystanders may freeze or
• panic in emergency situations.

10
Abdominal Thrusts

• Step 3 Position yourself behind the choking
  person.

11
Relief of Choking

• Step 4 Place the thumb
• side of your fist against
• the victims abdomen,
• in the midline, slightly
• above the navel and
• well below the
• breastbone.

12
Relief of Choking

• Step 5 Grab your fist with your other
• hand and press your fist into
• the victims abdomen with a
• quick upward thrust.
• Give each thrust with
• a separate and distinct
• movement

13
Relief of Choking

• Step 6 Repeat thrusts until the object is
  expelled from the airway or the victim becomes
  unresponsive.

14
Relief of Choking

• If a choking victim becomes unresponsive, you
  know that choking caused the symptoms.
• Activate 911, open the airway, remove the object
  if you see it, and begin CPR.

15
Relief of Choking

• If you are alone with a child choking victim that
  becomes unresponsive, open
• the airway, remove the object
• is you see it, and begin CPR.
• After about 5 cycles, or 2 minutes
• of CPR, activate 911 if this has
• not already been done.

16
Relief of Choking

• For both the adult and child victims, look for an
  object each time you go to give a breath. If you
  see an object, remove it with your fingers. If
  you do not see an object, keep doing CPR.

17
Relief of Choking

• If the victim is pregnant or obese,
• perform chest thrusts instead
• of abdominal thrusts.

18
Relief of Choking

• You can tell you have successfully removed
• an airway obstruction if you
• Feel air movement and see the chest rise when you
  give breaths
• See and remove a foreign body from the pharynx

19
Relief of Choking

• Any
• Questions?

20
Thank You