Choking
Choking occurs when an object partly or completely blocks a person's airway. Choking may be a life-threatening medical emergency because the brain can only survive a few minutes without oxygen. Signs and symptoms include clutching at the throat, coughing, wheezing and a red face. Ring triple zero (000) for an ambulance if a child is not breathing easily or at all. If first aid is applied correctly and dependent on whether the person is an adult, child, or baby, it can save their life.
A person with a partly blocked airway can still breathe, speak or cough. Symptoms include:
First Aid for choking when person is conscious:
Reassure the person. Encourage them to breathe and cough. If coughing does not remove the blockage:
The technique for adults and children is different from that required for babies. You will need to apply different methods for:
If the person becomes unconscious:
First aid CPR procedure includes:
How to perform first aid on yourself:
If you are choking:
A person with a partly blocked airway can still breathe, speak or cough. Symptoms include:
- Panicked and distressed behaviour
- Inability to talk in complete sentences or at full volume
- Frantic coughing
- Unusual breathing sounds, such as wheezing or whistling
- Clutching at the throat
- Watery eyes
- Red face.
First Aid for choking when person is conscious:
Reassure the person. Encourage them to breathe and cough. If coughing does not remove the blockage:
- Call triple zero (000).
- Bend the person well forward and give five back blows with the heel of your hand between their shoulderblades – checking if the blockage has been removed after each blow.
- If unsuccessful, give five chest thrusts by placing one hand in the middle of their back for support and the heel of the other hand on the lower part of their breastbone – checking if the blockage has been removed after each thrust.
The technique for adults and children is different from that required for babies. You will need to apply different methods for:
- An adult or child – ask the person to lean over with their hands on their knees or sit in a chair leaning forward. The amount of force used on a child is less than that used on an adult
- Baby – place the baby on your lap or forearm, with their head lower than their body. Ensure that you have them in a firm hold. The amount of force is less than that used on a child.
If the person becomes unconscious:
- Call triple zero (000).
- Remove any visible obstruction from the mouth.
- Commence cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
First aid CPR procedure includes:
- Place the person on their back on a hard surface such as the floor (place a baby on a table).
- Tilt the person's head gently back, pinch the nostrils closed, cover their mouth with yours to create a seal and blow firmly. (Do not tilt a baby’s head back. Instead, cover their nostrils and mouth with your mouth. Blow in puffs.)
- Place the heel of one hand on the lower half of the person’s breastbone. Place the other hand on top of the first hand and interlock your fingers. Keep your fingers up so that only the heel of your hand is on the person’s chest. Use only one hand for children aged between one and eight. Use two fingers for babies.
- Press down firmly and smoothly (compressing to one third of chest depth) 30 times. Administer two breaths. Repeat at the rhythm of five cycles in two minutes.
- Continue CPR and only stop when the ambulance officers take over or the person recovers.
How to perform first aid on yourself:
If you are choking:
- Try to stay calm. Attract someone’s attention for help.
- Attempt forceful coughing. Lean as far forward as you can. Hold onto something that is firmly anchored, if possible. Breathe out and then take a deep breath in and cough. This may eject the foreign object.
- Don’t let anyone slap you on the back while you are upright. Gravity may cause the object to slip further down your trachea (windpipe)