How to Treat an Unconscious Choking Adult or Child
Check for breathing., Have someone call 911., Look for an obvious obstruction., Attempt to clear the airway if the baby is conscious., Perform chest compressions., Check the infant’s airway., Perform rescue breathing if you are trained and...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Check for breathing.
If the choking infant (younger than one year old) has become unresponsive, you should first assess the situation.Quickly look around for food, toys, or whatever else may have caused the choking.
Then check to see if the choking infant is showing any signs of breathing—chest rising or hearing breathing when you place your ear close to the infant’s nose and mouth. -
Step 2: Have someone call 911.
If someone other than you is around, have that person call 911 while you begin taking first aid steps for the infant.
Note that if you’re the only person around and the baby isn’t breathing at all, you should begin CPR before calling 911 to first ensure that the baby receives circulation and oxygen.If you’re the only person around, but others are within earshot, then proceed through the next steps while periodically yelling for help.
Ideally, someone else will be able to call 911 as you attend to the baby. , With the infant laying flat, tilt the baby’s head back and open his mouth.
If you can see the object, remove it, but only if the object is easily removed.
If the object is lodged, you don’t want to risk pushing it farther into the infant’s throat., If the baby is unconscious or shows no signs of breathing, skip to the next step.
This step should only be taken if the infant is conscious; if the infant is unconscious, begin CPR immediately.
If the unresponsive infant shows signs of reduced breathing, then you want to attempt to clear the infant’s airway.
Try the following methods:
Sit, rest your forearm on your thigh, and place the infant facedown along the length of your forearm.
The baby’s head should be angled slightly downward as well.
Use the heel of your hand to thump the middle of the infant’s back five times with firm but not violent thumps.
Watch to see if the object dislodges.
Roll the infant face up onto your forearm—again with the head lower than the torso.
Place two fingers along the center of the baby’s breastbone and quickly compress the chest five times.
Check the mouth again to see if the action dislodged the object.
Repeat steps attempting to dislodge the object as long as the infant shows signs of breathing and a pulse.
If the object dislodges and the baby resumes breathing, then call 911 and watch the infant closely until help arrives.
If the infant stops breathing entirely at any time in the process or becomes unconscious, move to the next step. , If the infant is unconscious, then you need to begin CPR.
The method for giving an infant CPR is different than with a child or adult.
Begin with chest compressions that will help maintain blood circulation to the brain.
To perform chest compressions on an infant:
Place the infant on a hard, flat surface—a table or even the floor will suffice.
Put two fingers on the center of the infant’s chest.
Imagine a straight line between the baby’s nipples, and place the fingers just below where this line would be.
Press down with your fingers to compress the chest around
1.5 inches (3.8cm).
The rate of the compressions should be around 100 per minute.
However, ensure that the infant’s chest rises all the way back up between compressions.
Perform thirty compressions, counting them aloud as you go. , The compressions may have dislodged the object in the baby’s throat.
After thirty compressions, check the infant’s airway again.
Tip the baby’s head back by lifting the chin while pressing down on the forehead with the other hand.
Open the mouth to see if you can now remove the object—again, only if easily removable.
Spend several seconds (no more than ten) feeling for breath and watching the infant’s chest to see if he or she is breathing without assistance. , If the unconscious infant still isn’t breathing, you may want to perform rescue breathing techniques.
However, new recommendations by the American Heart Association state that if you are untrained in CPR, you can just do chest compressions, and do not need to perform rescue breathing.To rescue breathe for the infant:
Cover the infant’s mouth and nose with your mouth.
Use your cheeks (not your lungs) to deliver a quick, gentle blow of air that lasts one second.
Provide a second breathe the same way.
Watch the baby’s chest to see if it rises, which will tell you if the breaths are getting around the blockage or not.
If air does not go in, reposition the head and try one more breath.
If the first breath goes in, give a second rescue breath, and then do another set of chest compressions. , You want to repeat the cycle of CPR (thirty chest compressions followed by two rescue breaths) for two minutes—about five cycles.
If no one else has called 911 yet, this is the point where you should stop performing CPR to call emergency responders.The seconds can be precious.
Continue giving the baby assistance as the phone rings, etc.
Follow the 911 operator’s instructions once the call is answered. , Continue performing CPR cycles.
Between chest compressions and rescue breathing, continue taking a few seconds to see if the blockage has been dislodged and if the baby has resumed breathing.
Perform another cycle each time the baby shows no signs of life.
Repeat until emergency responders arrive if necessary.If you are getting tired, see if there is another person trained in CPR to take over for you or help with two person CPR. -
Step 3: Look for an obvious obstruction.
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Step 4: Attempt to clear the airway if the baby is conscious.
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Step 5: Perform chest compressions.
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Step 6: Check the infant’s airway.
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Step 7: Perform rescue breathing if you are trained and comfortable doing so.
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Step 8: Call 911 if you’re by yourself.
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Step 9: Repeat CPR cycles.
Detailed Guide
If the choking infant (younger than one year old) has become unresponsive, you should first assess the situation.Quickly look around for food, toys, or whatever else may have caused the choking.
Then check to see if the choking infant is showing any signs of breathing—chest rising or hearing breathing when you place your ear close to the infant’s nose and mouth.
If someone other than you is around, have that person call 911 while you begin taking first aid steps for the infant.
Note that if you’re the only person around and the baby isn’t breathing at all, you should begin CPR before calling 911 to first ensure that the baby receives circulation and oxygen.If you’re the only person around, but others are within earshot, then proceed through the next steps while periodically yelling for help.
Ideally, someone else will be able to call 911 as you attend to the baby. , With the infant laying flat, tilt the baby’s head back and open his mouth.
If you can see the object, remove it, but only if the object is easily removed.
If the object is lodged, you don’t want to risk pushing it farther into the infant’s throat., If the baby is unconscious or shows no signs of breathing, skip to the next step.
This step should only be taken if the infant is conscious; if the infant is unconscious, begin CPR immediately.
If the unresponsive infant shows signs of reduced breathing, then you want to attempt to clear the infant’s airway.
Try the following methods:
Sit, rest your forearm on your thigh, and place the infant facedown along the length of your forearm.
The baby’s head should be angled slightly downward as well.
Use the heel of your hand to thump the middle of the infant’s back five times with firm but not violent thumps.
Watch to see if the object dislodges.
Roll the infant face up onto your forearm—again with the head lower than the torso.
Place two fingers along the center of the baby’s breastbone and quickly compress the chest five times.
Check the mouth again to see if the action dislodged the object.
Repeat steps attempting to dislodge the object as long as the infant shows signs of breathing and a pulse.
If the object dislodges and the baby resumes breathing, then call 911 and watch the infant closely until help arrives.
If the infant stops breathing entirely at any time in the process or becomes unconscious, move to the next step. , If the infant is unconscious, then you need to begin CPR.
The method for giving an infant CPR is different than with a child or adult.
Begin with chest compressions that will help maintain blood circulation to the brain.
To perform chest compressions on an infant:
Place the infant on a hard, flat surface—a table or even the floor will suffice.
Put two fingers on the center of the infant’s chest.
Imagine a straight line between the baby’s nipples, and place the fingers just below where this line would be.
Press down with your fingers to compress the chest around
1.5 inches (3.8cm).
The rate of the compressions should be around 100 per minute.
However, ensure that the infant’s chest rises all the way back up between compressions.
Perform thirty compressions, counting them aloud as you go. , The compressions may have dislodged the object in the baby’s throat.
After thirty compressions, check the infant’s airway again.
Tip the baby’s head back by lifting the chin while pressing down on the forehead with the other hand.
Open the mouth to see if you can now remove the object—again, only if easily removable.
Spend several seconds (no more than ten) feeling for breath and watching the infant’s chest to see if he or she is breathing without assistance. , If the unconscious infant still isn’t breathing, you may want to perform rescue breathing techniques.
However, new recommendations by the American Heart Association state that if you are untrained in CPR, you can just do chest compressions, and do not need to perform rescue breathing.To rescue breathe for the infant:
Cover the infant’s mouth and nose with your mouth.
Use your cheeks (not your lungs) to deliver a quick, gentle blow of air that lasts one second.
Provide a second breathe the same way.
Watch the baby’s chest to see if it rises, which will tell you if the breaths are getting around the blockage or not.
If air does not go in, reposition the head and try one more breath.
If the first breath goes in, give a second rescue breath, and then do another set of chest compressions. , You want to repeat the cycle of CPR (thirty chest compressions followed by two rescue breaths) for two minutes—about five cycles.
If no one else has called 911 yet, this is the point where you should stop performing CPR to call emergency responders.The seconds can be precious.
Continue giving the baby assistance as the phone rings, etc.
Follow the 911 operator’s instructions once the call is answered. , Continue performing CPR cycles.
Between chest compressions and rescue breathing, continue taking a few seconds to see if the blockage has been dislodged and if the baby has resumed breathing.
Perform another cycle each time the baby shows no signs of life.
Repeat until emergency responders arrive if necessary.If you are getting tired, see if there is another person trained in CPR to take over for you or help with two person CPR.
About the Author
Emma Shaw
Writer and educator with a focus on practical lifestyle knowledge.
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