Choking - First Aid for Parents

First Aid for Parents
Written By Advanta Safety

The do’s and don’ts:

 

First, let’s talk about what is happening. If somebody is choking, they can’t breathe, speak or cough.

Their airway is completely blocked, and we need to help them quickly!

(If your patient is coughing and speaking, they are NOT choking. Encourage them to cough. DO NOT slap their back. This can cause a partial blockage to become a full blockage!)

A little bit of anatomy –

·       Your airway is roughly the same size as your index finger.

·       Your diaphragm is a big band of muscle that sits below your lungs. When you cough it moves up and forces air out of your lungs.

·       Your intercostal muscles – they coat your ribs and squeeze in when you cough.

·       Your body is AMAZING!

When faced with a choking patient there are several steps we need to take:

 

1.     Check it is safe for you to approach.

2.     Ask your patient if they are choking and can you help.

3.     Request Emergency Services

4.     Get into a safe position with a broad stable base and administer up to 5 back blows (using the heel of your hand make an upward scooping motion between the shoulder blades)

5.     If the back slaps were unsuccessful move onto abdominal thrusts (Heimlich Manoeuvre) Place a flat fist just above the belly button, wrap your other arm around your patient and scoop up under the rib cage up to 5 times.

Repeat steps 4 and 5 until the object is cleared or the patient goes unconscious.

 

Object cleared =  sit the patient down, make sure they are doing okay. Wait for Emergency Services.

 

Unconscious = Tilt the patient’s head back to open their airway and check for breathing. If they are breathing maintain the airway and wait for Emergency Services to arrive.

 

If the patient is not breathing start CPR sequence and continue until Emergency Services take over.

 

Thanks for reading!

Jess

 :)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Advanta Safety