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Choking is the stoppage or hindrance of breathing as a result of an obstruction or irritation of the windpipe.
Choking is the body's way of attempting to remove an obstruction from the airway.
A person who is choking may have their airway completely or partially blocked. While a complete obstruction is certainly life-threatening; a partial obstruction can also be life-threatening if the person's ability to breathe in and out becomes poor. Treat any significant obstruction as a complete obstruction.
Because without oxygen a person's brain will begin to die within 4 to 6 minutes, immediate action is necessary to save a life.However, the action taken to render aid must be done properly, calmly and in the correct manner.
Many things can cause a person to choke. Eating while laughing at the same time, eating too fast, eating with poorly fitted dentures and not chewing food sufficiently can cause choking.
Alcohol consumption can affect awareness and cause a person to choke.
Trauma to a person's head or face producing bleeding, can cause choking.
However, there are basicly three things that a person chokes on:
- food
- a forein object (such as small objects swallowed by young children).
- a tongue of an unconscious person
The Heimlich Maneuver should be performed only when a person truly can not breath or is not getting sufficient air to their lungs. If someone is choking, first determine if the person requires assistance by asking if they are okay.ONLY if the person cannot speak or cannot cough, should you perform the Heimlich Maneuver.
1. Stand behind the victim and wrap your arms around their waist.
2. Make a fist. Place the thumb-side of your fist in the middle of the victim's abdomen, just above the navel and well below the tip of their breastbone.
3. Grasp the fist with your other hand.
4. Keep your elbows out and press your fist into the victim's abdomen inward and upward with five quick, distinct thrusts.
5. Continue these abdominal thrusts until the object is dislodged, help arrives, or the victim loses consciousness.
1. Roll the victim onto their back on a hard surface, keeping their back in a straight line, firmly supporting their head and neck. Expose the victim's chest.
2. Open the victim's mouth with your thumb and index finger, placing your thumb over his tongue and your index finger under his chin. If the object is visible and loose, remove it.
3. Lift the victim's chin while tilting the head back to move the tongue away from the windpipe. Don't let the mouth close.
4. If the victim is not breathing, give 2 slow, full breaths, with a pause in between.
5. If the victim's chest does not rise, reposition the head and give 2 more breaths.
6. If the victim's chest still doesn't rise, begin abdominal thrusts, as follows. Kneel at the victim's feet or astride the thighs. Place the heel of your hand in the middle of the abdomen just above the navel, well below the tip of their breastbone. Place your other hand on top of the first hand.
7. Give 6 to 10 quick thrusts compressing the victim's chest about 2 inches, pressing your hands inward and upward. Do not press to either side. Each thrust is a separate attempt to clear the victim's airway by forcing air out through the windpipe.
8. Open the victim's mouth with your thumb and index finger. If the object is visible and loose, remove it. Observe the victim's breathing.
9. If the object is not dislodged, give 2 breaths, 6 to 10 abdominal thrusts, and then check for the object. Repeat this sequence until the object is dislodged or help arrives.
Following the expulsion of the object that caused the choking, keep the victim still and get medical help. All choking victims should have a medical examination, since complications can arise not only from the incident but also from the first aid measures that were taken.
Become certified in the Heimlich maneuver and CPR today. Check with your local Red Cross, American Heart Association chapter or call your local hospital for information. This action on your part could save someone's life.
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This page Copyright © 1998,1999 by Jerry
Cammarata. All Rights Reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium
without express written permission of Jerry Cammarata is prohibited.
For more information, e-mail: jerry@cammarata.com