Choking Emergencies

Air Date: 12/22/2003

QuickTime plug-in required

More than 3,000 people die each year as a result of choking. Being able to recognize if a family member or friend could save their life.

Common Causes

• Trying to swallow large pieces of poorly chewed food.
• Drinking alcohol before or during meals. Alcohol dulls the nerves that aid in swallowing.
• Wearing dentures. Dentures make it difficult to sense whether food is fully chewed before it is swallowed.
• Eating while talking excitedly or laughing.
• Eating too fast.
• Walking, playing, or running with food or objects in the mouth.

Choking Prevention Tips

Adults

• Cut food into small pieces.
• Chew food slowly and thoroughly, especially if wearing dentures.
• Avoid laughing and talking during chewing and swallowing.
• Avoid excessive intake of alcohol before and during meals.

Infants and Children

• Keep marbles, beads, thumbtacks, and other small objects out of their reach and prevent them from walking, running, or playing with food or toys in their mouths.

The Heimlich Maneuver

Adults

A choking victim can't speak or breathe and needs your help immediately. Follow these steps to help a choking victim:

1. From behind, wrap your arms around the victim's waist.
2. Make a fist and place the thumb side of your fist against the victim's upper abdomen, below the ribcage and above the navel.
3. Grasp your fist with your other hand and press into their upper abdomen with a quick upward thrust. Do not squeeze the ribcage; confine the force of the thrust to your hands.
4. Repeat until object is expelled.

Unconscious Victim or When Rescuer Cannot Reach Around Victim

1. Place the victim on back. Facing the victim, kneel astride the victim's hips.
2. With one of your hands on top of the other, place the heel of your bottom hand on the upper abdomen below the rib cage and above the navel.
3. Use your body weight to press into the victim's upper abdomen with a quick upward thrust.
4. Repeat until object is expelled.

If the victim has not recovered, proceed with CPR. The victim should see a physician immediately after rescue.

Don't slap the victim's back. (This could make matters worse.)

Infants

A choking victim can't speak or breathe and needs your help immediately. Follow these steps to help a choking infant:

1. Lay the child down, face up, on a firm surface and kneel or stand at the victim's feet, or hold infant on your lap facing away from you.
2. Place the middle and index fingers of both your hands below his rib cage and above his navel.
3. Press into the victim's upper abdomen with a quick upward thrust; do not squeeze the rib cage. Be very gentle.
4. Repeat until object is expelled.

If the victim has not recovered, proceed with CPR. The victim should see a physician immediately after rescue.

Don't slap a choking victim's back. (This could make matters worse.)

What to do if you are alone and choking

When you choke, you can't speak or breathe and you need help immediately. Follow these steps to save yourself from choking:

1. Make a fist and place the thumb side of your fist against your upper abdomen, below the ribcage and above the navel.
2. Grasp your fist with your other hand and press into your upper abdomen with a quick upward thrust.
3. Repeat until object is expelled.

OR

1. Lean over a fixed horizontal object (table edge, chair, railing) and press your upper abdomen against the edge to produce a quick upward thrust.
2. Repeat until object is expelled.
3. See a physician immediately after rescue.

Additional Resources

American Heart Association

American Red Cross

450 Edison Way Reno, Nevada 89502 (775)858-5700 Fax (775)858-5720