The Proper Way to Treat Choking

First aid is the treatment for a variety of injuries or illnesses. One that is usually overlooked is choking. People may believe that they already know how to perform it, but around 4,500 to 5,000 die of choking each year in the United States alone!

When you think about choking, you probability pull up an image of someone wrapping their arms around another person and applying pressure to their abdomen. These are abdominal thrusts, and are a popular symbol of choking in media. It's the move pulled by many of our beloved tv shows and characters! You might have also seen people slap or hit someone on their back in order to treat choking.

But, just like most things of the internet, you can't believe everything you see. These shows do not always accurately represent how to treat choking. Giving abdominal thrusts on a infant is definitely not okay, and slapping/patting a child's back to get out a foreign object can cause that object to lodge itself even deeper in the airway. There are different ways help people with choking, depending on the severity of the situation and the age of the victim.

For Children/Adults:

1. Back blows 

Place your hand between their shoulder blades. Then hit them firmly 5 times using the heel of our hand. 

According to the British Red Cross, hitting them on their back creates a strong vibration and pressure in the airway, which is often enough to dislodge the blockage. Dislodging the blockage will allow them to breathe again.

1. Abdominal thrusts

If they are still choking after 5 back blows, then proceed to provide abdominal thrusts (Heimlich Maneuver). To provide abdominal thrusts, wrap your arms around the person's waist and bend them forward. Place a clenched fist above their belly button, and place your other hand over the fist. Lastly, pull your hands upwards in a sharp thrust.

1. Call 911

If the person still can not breathe, call 911 and continue the above steps until help arrives.

For Infants:

The abdominal thrusts are not to be performed on infants. Instead, follow these steps if you encounter a choking baby. 

1. Back blows

Place the baby against your thigh with their head lower that their legs. Then, use the palm of our hand to firmly hit their back in between their shoulder blades 5 times.

1. Chest Thrusts

Turn the baby over so the are facing upwards. Then, place 2 fingers on the middle of their chest and press downwards firmly 5 times.

1. Call 911

If the baby is still unresponsive, then call 911. Continue to perform the above steps until help arrives.

Hopefully, you don't get into a situation in which choking is involved, but if you do, now you are prepared! Still, prevention is always the best cure--make it hard for choking situations to occur. If you are a parent, then make sure to cut food into smaller pieces and advise your child to chew slowly and carefully. As an adult or teen, you can prevent choking by chewing your food thoroughly and making sure not to talk while eating. Please inform your peers and family members on the correct way to act in a choking emergency!

SOURCES CITED:

“First Aid for Someone Who Is Choking.” British Red Cross, www.redcross.org.uk/first-aid/learn-first-aid/choking#:~:text=Hit%20them%20firmly%20on%20their. ‌

Services, Department of Health & Human. “Choking.” Www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au, www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/ConditionsAndTreatments/choking.

Written By: Rakshitha Muththukumar

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