7 Swift Rescue Steps for a Choking incident

Thank you for reading our post, please rate this article at the end.

Last Updated on August 24, 2024 by Paul Clayton

7 Swift Rescue Steps for a Choking Incident

The odds of dying from choking on food in the US is approximately 1 in 2,659. To put this probability into perspective, the odds of dying from choking are much lower than dying from an accidental plane crash or gun discharge.

Pretty slim odds, right?

It is true, but not that far-fetched. The chances of you, your loved ones, or your kid choking on food or toys to death aren’t impossible. Choking is usually the leading cause of death in toddlers and the leading cause of death in people over 65.

Knowing what to do when someone is choking is important to prevent injury or, worse, unavoidable death. Knowing you’re well-prepared for such an event also puts your mind at peace. And in this guide, I’ll educate you on what to do if someone starts to choke.

Key Takeaways:

1. 1. Understanding Choking Risks:
      • Choking is a leading cause of death among toddlers and people over 65.
      • Recognizing the signs of choking, such as the universal distress signal (hands grasping the throat), gagging, coughing, wheezing, panic, and silence/inability to talk.
   2. Initial Assessment and Action:
      • Ask if the person is choking and encourage them to cough if they can still speak or make noise.
   3. Back Blows Technique:
      • Perform five firm back blows between the shoulder blades to try and dislodge the obstruction.
   4. Abdominal Thrusts (Heimlich Maneuver):
      • If back blows are ineffective, perform the Heimlich maneuver with controlled thrusts.
   5. CPR in Severe Cases:
      • If the person becomes unconscious, perform CPR and continue until professional help arrives.
   6. Special Considerations:
      • Modify techniques for infants, pregnant women, or obese individuals.
      • Always seek medical attention after a choking incident to check for internal injuries.
   7. Self-Rescue Techniques:
      • Use the back of a chair to perform the Heimlich maneuver on yourself if alone.
      • Alternate method includes a forceful push-up position slam to expel the obstruction.

Signs of Choking

Learning to tell that someone is choking is equally important as knowing what to do when someone starts choking.

The problem with choking is that sometimes it can be silent, which is really for parents. Think about it: coughing usually equates to air movement, and gasping does. Kids usually don’t know how to come and tell you when they’re choking. You must supervise your kids while eating, and don’t assume that silence means everything is okay.

With that said, here are some important signs to look for to tell if someone is choking. Some of the signs are obvious, but it might be harder to tell if someone tries to hide what’s going on

• The universal sign of distress: The international sign of choking is when someone has both hands grasping the throat. If you see this, know that someone is in trouble.
• Gagging: If the other person appears to be gagging and retching, but nothing or drool is coming out, they might be choking.
• Coughing: Coughing uncontrollably is also a sign of mild choking. Usually, this happens when the body is trying to eject foreign substances from the lungs.
• Wheezing: If someone appears to be struggling mightily for a deep breath and audibly wheezing, it indicates the airway is partly blocked.
• Panic: Generally, if someone exhibits signs of panic, such as a red face, watery eyes, or wide eyes, it might be a sign they’re choking
• Silence and inability to talk:  Yes, silence can also indicate something is wrong. When someone is coughing and making noises, it means the obstruction is urgent, but they’re not in imminent danger. On the other hand, if they’re silent and can’t make a noise, it’s a sign of severe choking, and they’re not far from unconsciousness or death.

What to Do When Someone is Choking: Steps to Take When Someone Stats Choking

Now that we know how to tell if someone is choking let’s look at what to do if someone starts choking.

Step 1

If you suspect someone is choking, the first step is to ask them if they’re choking. In most cases, they’ll nod to say they’re choking. They might also display signs of distress or even hold their throat with both hands.

Also, try calling them and making them more relaxed. It’ll be easier to help them if they’re relaxed, and by calling them, they won’t pass out as fast.

Step 2

If they can talk, cough, or make noises, their airway is partially obstructed, and there’s some airflow. In this case, please encourage them to cough it up and do not interfere. The obstruction might be able to clear by itself.

Step 3

If the casualty cannot speak, cough, wheeze, or make high-pitched noises, it indicates severe choking, and you must act quickly.

Before reaching out, inform them that you will help them so they know what’s going on.

Step 4 

Back blows are the first first-aid technique you should employ to help a choking person. It requires you to provide five short, sharp blows between the shoulder blades.

Here’s a step-by-step method for performing the back blows:

• Stand behind the casualty and wrap one of your arms diagonally across their chest. Ideally, your fingers should be opposite your casualty’s arm, while your elbow should be slightly above their hip.
• Next, bend the casualty forward at the waist. The aim should be to have the airway parallel to the ground.
• With the heel of your free hand, deliver five firm back blows between the shoulder blades. Whack the casualty as hard but firmly on the back until the blockage comes flying off.

Hopefully, the back blows should be enough to get the blockage from the airway and relieve the casualty from choking. If there’s still blockage and your casualty is choking, you must move to the next technique.

Step 5

If the back blows aren’t efficient at eliminating the blockage, you must switch to the abdominal thrusts, AKA the Heimlich maneuver.

The abdominal thrusts maneuver is a first aid procedure used to treat upper airway obstructions caused by foreign objects. It is commonly taught during basic life support and cardiac life support classes. American doctor Heimlich is often credited for its creation.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to how to perform the abdominal thrusts technique on a choking person:

• Go behind the casualty as you did with the back blow technique. However, instead of running your hand diagonally, wrap your hands all away around.
• Next, make a fist and find the belly button with your pinky finger. Position the clenched hand pinky on the belly button, then roll it up so the knuckle of your thumb is right under the rib cage.
• Start thrusting upwards, once at a time. You pull your fist in and out until you dislodge whatever is in their mouth, and they can breathe again.

During thrusting, you mustn’t do like 10 immediately in a row like most films tend to portray. Instead, you need at least a second between each thrust. After every thrust, check to see if they’ve dislodged the obstruction so as not to keep going. In short, please don’t be crazy about it to avoid breaking ribs.

Of course, when someone is choking to death, worrying about a broken rib takes a backseat; getting the food dislodged from the airway is the most important thing. However, the problem is that many people tend to go crazy with abdominal thrusts. Doing 5 thrusts in 2 seconds won’t increase your chances of dislodging a blocked airway more than doing one at a time.

You could still break a rib even if you do the thrusts correctly. You can minimize the risk. It won’t ever be zero, but having someone do it calmly is much better.

The Heimlich maneuver is an efficient technique, but unfortunately, you can’t perform it on an infant, pregnant woman, or obese person. There’s a higher risk of injury.

If the person choking falls in the above groups, your fist should be placed near the breastbone. Then, use the same thrusting techniques to perform the chest thrusts.

Step 6

If the Heimlich maneuver doesn’t help your casualty dislodge the blockage and they pass

out, you need to perform CPR. CPR comes in handy when the casualty is unconscious and can’t breathe.

If your casualty is unresponsive and doesn’t breathe, you need to perform CPR. However, if they’re unconscious and still breathing, you need to put them in a recovery position.

Usually, if a blockage doesn’t clear, a person will automatically pass out. And when they do, their throat relaxes, and you can start CPR.

Here’s a general guide to how to perform CPR:

• Ensure the casualty is on a firm surface
• Remove any visible foreign objects in their mouth. Start by supporting and positioning their chin. Next, depress their tongue using your thumb while supporting their chin and lifting the jaw. Use the index finger of your other hand as a hook to clear and remove any foreign objects in the victim’s mouth.
• Open the victim’s airway by tilting their head back while raising their chin.
• Give rescue breaths to see if the blockage will clear.
• If the victim’s chest isn’t rising, begin compressions. Kneel next to them and find the center of their chest. Stack your hands by interlocking them and start your 30 compressions. Each compression should be at least 2 inches deep and at least 100 per minute. That’s more than one every second. It’s fast, but remember, it’s a type of circulatory compression and may get exhausting over time.
• Alternate the compression with attempts to clear any blockage.
• Hopefully, this should clear the blockage. If not, continue with the compressions and rescue breaths until an AED or EMS arrives and takes over.

Step 7

Even if everything is fine, you must always take the victim to a hospital. They must get a checkover in case there’s internal damage. It’s particularly important for victims who had the abdominal thrust done on them because their ribcage can easily break off.

What to do if a kid is choking?

Helping a baby or infant clear an obstruction from their airways isn’t much different from that of an adult.

Here’s a breakdown of the steps you should take:

• Lean the baby over your arm, ideally at about 25-30 degrees. Their airway should be approximately parallel to the ground.

Give them five gentle back blows repeatedly to dislodge the obstruction. The baby should be facing down on the lower part of your arm. Remember, the key here is to watch if they spit out what they were choking on.

• If the back blows don’t seem to work, proceed to do chest compressions. Carefully roll the baby on their back so they face two. Place the index and middle finger at the center of their breastbone, and make gentle up and down thrusts. One chest thrust per second is enough.
• If the blockage doesn’t clear, switch to the back blows. Alternate these two techniques until the airways are free of obstructions.
• If the infant becomes unconscious or unresponsive, consider performing CPR.

How to Perform Heimlich When You’re Alone

Choking when you’re alone happens more often than you would think. It’s one of my nightmares. The good thing is you could use the Heimlich maneuver to care for yourself in such a situation.

Here’s how to do it:

Chair Method

If you’re alone and choking, you could perform a Heimlich maneuver using the back of a char or any other surface that allows for it. It’ll hurt like hell, but it’s efficient, much better than other alternatives, and, more importantly, will save your life.

• Find a chair, preferably with a rounded edge
• Make a fist across the front of your body, ideally just under the rib cage
• Fall forward on the chair, landing on the clenched fist first. Slam hard on the chair, trying to drive your fists upward.
• Repeat until the obstruction is cleared.

Alternative Self-Choking Technique

If you’re choking and alone, you could also get into a push-up position, ideally with your knees on the ground. Then slam yourself onto the ground, chest first. This is likely to knock the wind out of you.

Moving large amounts of air quickly will forcefully dislodge any object in your airways. This technique is a great alternative and can complement the Heimlich technique.

When Not to Use the Heimlich Technique

The Heimlich maneuver is an effective way to clear an obstructed airway. However, it’s only so good up to a certain point. There are several circumstances when the Heimlich technique isn’t ideal.

For example, if the victim is coughing or speaking, they don’t need the Heimlich maneuver. In such cases, you must encourage the casualty to cough and clear the obstruction. In short, give them time to breathe.

What To Do If Someone Chokes on Water, Own Saliva, or Liquids?

You don’t need to do anything if someone else is choking on liquids. After all, getting a full-on blockage to form with liquid is quite difficult.

When someone coughs or chokes on liquids, it’s not REAL choking. Instead, small amounts of liquids got down the wrong pipe, and coughing is simply a reaction to expel the unwelcome fluids.

You can’t use the Heimlich maneuver on someone choking on liquids. The technique is used to expel a solid obstruction mechanically and won’t work to expel fluids. Doing Heimlich on a person choking on water might make them completely inhale it.

*Tips Regarding Choking

• For the love of God, always let people know you’re choking. It’s a natural reaction to try and go to the bathroom to walk away to the bathroom to help themselves, but don’t do that.
• Based on most choking incidents, the best tip is to chew your steak thoroughly.
• Other major causes of choking are eating too quickly, swallowing bones & small objects, and inhaling small objects.

This video has been included to clarify the topic. Credit goes to News4JAX The Local Station

---

Wrap Up

Understanding and being prepared to implement the swift rescue steps for a choking incident can be the difference between life and death. When faced with such an emergency, staying calm and acting promptly is vital. Assessing the situation to confirm choking, encouraging forceful coughing, and performing abdominal thrusts are essential initial steps to dislodge the obstruction.

If these efforts are unsuccessful and the person cannot breathe or loses consciousness, calling for emergency assistance is crucial. While waiting for help, considering CPR may be necessary to maintain circulation. It is important to stay with the person until professional medical help arrives.

Proper training and familiarity with these rescue steps are invaluable, as is seeking immediate medical attention even after successful clearance of the obstruction. By being prepared and acting swiftly, you greatly increase the chances of a positive outcome in a choking incident, potentially saving a life. Choking is hazardous, and this is because it can lead to brain damage in as little as four to six minutes.

Disclaimer:
This website is provided for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services. The information provided should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, and those seeking personal medical advice should consult with a licensed physician.

Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health provider regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you have read on the CrowSurvival website. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room immediately.

This website or its use creates no physician-patient relationship. Neither the owners nor its employees, nor any contributor to this website, makes any representations, express or implied, concerning the information provided herein or to its use.

Home page
Back to the top of the page