When food or another foreign object becomes stuck in the airway it can cause choking. Choking prevents oxygen from getting to the lungs and the brain. Lack of oxygen to the brain for
more than 4 minutes may cause brain damage or death. It is important for all people to recognize and know how to handle choking at home and in public places. Experts recommend using abdominal thrusts to treat someone who is choking. You can prevent choking in adults by following these precautionary measures: Cut food into small pieces. Chew food slowly and thoroughly, especially if wearing dentures. Avoid
laughing and talking while chewing and swallowing. Avoid excessive intake of alcohol before and during meals. You can prevent choking in infants and children by following these precautionary measures: Keep marbles, beads, thumbtacks, latex balloons, coins, and other small toys and objects out of reach, particularly in children younger than 4 years old. Prevent children from walking, running, or playing when they have food and toys in
their mouth. Youngsters under the age of 4 should not be fed foods that can easily become lodged in the throat, such as hot dogs, nuts, chunks of meat or cheese, grapes, hard or sticky candy, popcorn, chunks of peanut butter, or raw carrots. Supervise mealtimes with young children. Prevent older siblings from giving a dangerous food or toy to a young child. A series of
under-the-diaphragm abdominal thrusts are recommended for a person who is choking on a piece of food or a foreign object. This technique is used only when a person is choking due to something blocking the airway. Choking is when a person can't speak, cough, or breathe. An airway obstruction can lead to a loss of consciousness and death. When applying the abdominal thrusts, be careful not to use too much force so you don't damage the ribs or internal organs. Only use abdominal thrusts
on a conscious person if "back slaps" fail to relieve the airway obstruction. If the person is unconscious, use chest compressions. Abdominal thrusts lift the diaphragm and forces enough air from the lungs to create an artificial cough. This cough is intended to move air through the windpipe, pushing, and expelling the obstruction out of the airway and mouth:
Abdominal thrusts can be painful and even injure the person. Only use abdominal thrusts in actual emergencies, when it is certain that the person is choking. Use this method only in adults. A different technique is used in infants and small children. Discuss the proper first-aid choking technique for your child with his or her healthcare provider. How can I learn the right way to help someone who is choking?Using abdominal thrusts is simple to learn and is often taught during first-aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) classes. Contact your local chapter of the American Red Cross or American Heart Association or contact your local hospital or healthcare facility for a class schedule and more information.
Dec 9, 2013 Scot: Somebody's choking on some food, what do you do? Do you give the Heimlich maneuver? Do you even know how? We're going to find out the answers to those and other questions right now, with Dr. Troy Madsen, Emergency of Medicine at University of Utah Hospital. Announcer: Medical news and research from University of Utah physicians and specialists you can use for a happier and healthier life. You're listening to the Scope. Scot: Let's talk about the Heimlich maneuver. Is an effective tool. Dr. Madsen: It is. You know, the Heimlich maneuver actually works, and we talk about CPR sometimes, and we talk about well maybe CPR works, maybe 5 to 10% of the time. The Heimlich maneuver, in my experience, works most of the time. And it's really surprising to me, because we think about all this research we have on CPR. I just can't find much research at all on the Heimlich maneuver. But I can tell you, I've seen many cases in the E.R. of people who have been brought in, who are say at a restaurant or at home, something happened. Someone administered the Heimlich maneuver, it got that piece of meat or food out, and they came in the E.R. and were fine. You know, they walked out of the E.R. later. So there's no question in my mind it works and it works the majority of the time. Scot: So there are likely all sorts of videos online, if you want to learn how to do the Heimlich maneuver. Dr. Madsen: Sure. Scot: Can you do a brief overview of what you should do? And then I'd like to find out from your perspective, how do I know I'm doing it right? Dr. Madsen: Yeah. Yes, so the big thing you want to do is number one, stand behind the person. So as long as you can get behind them, that's a great position to be in. And then reach around the front, make one hand into a fist, the other hand on top of it. Place that fist just down below the rib cage in the midline, so you're right over the stomach there, and then with both hands force that stomach up. And so if you really think about what you're doing, like I said, you're thinking you're forcing the stomach. The big thing I'm trying to do is just put lots of pressure on the lungs, because we've got food stuck in the trachea, in the breathing tube. So if I can get a lot of force on the lungs by pushing up on the stomach into the diaphragm, that's going to force that air out of the trachea, and hopefully make that piece of food pop right out. Scot: So how hard am I doing this? Am I lifting somebody off the ground with each. . . what do you call that when you, each thing. Dr. Madsen: Yeah so with each thrust there . . . Scot: Thrust. Dr. Madsen: You are lifting this person. Dr. Madsen: If you can you know, it's a lot of force. Scot: All right. Dr. Madsen: And again, you're thinking the more force the better. It's kind of like you know, you think about you're in grade school and you got like a . . . you're shooting spit wads at the ceiling or something. It's the same concept. It's just lots of air pressure all at once. Immediate force that shoots something straight up, and that's what you're trying to do with that force down there. Scot: So how do you actually know if you should start administering the Heimlich maneuver to somebody? Dr. Madsen: So this is a great question, because you know, the Heimlich maneuver is not without harm. There are plenty things that have shown you put that much force on a person's stomach, you can cause injury to their spleen, their liver, their large vessel, their stomach. So you really need to know this person is choking, and a universal sign of chocking is a person is holding their hands over their throat. Often times they may be turning blue. If a person can speak to you, that means they are moving air through their airway, they do not need the Heimlich maneuver, but that person generally, well they should not be able to speak because their airway is completely blocked, which means they can't get any air through there. You know, if they are speaking to you but feel like something's stuck in there you can call 9-1-1, but you don't need to start doing thrusts or forcing air into their lungs, or pushing on their stomach. Scot: When we talked about CPR you tell your students that if you're not hearing ribs cracking, you're not doing compressions hard enough. Is there anything equivalent in the Heimlich maneuver? Dr. Madsen: You don't want to crack ribs. You're going to be down lower there. Scot: Okay. Dr. Madsen: But I'm just . . . it's just got to be much force . . . Scot: Much force. Dr. Madsen: As you can push there. Yeah. Scot: So channel any anger that you had towards . . . Dr. Madsen: Yeah. Scot: . . . relative right in there. Dr. Madsen: Channel anger, fear, whatever emotions running through you at that point, channel it into those thrusts to really try and get some pressure there. Scot: How long do I keep doing that? Dr. Madsen: Keep doing it until they're responding. Scot: Okay. Dr. Madsen: And if they get to a point where they are unresponsive, where they lose a pulse, then you have to start CPR. Scot: Okay. Dr. Madsen: And often times, once you're doing in those chest compressions, those nice deep chest compressions, that sometimes will generate enough force on the lungs to make that food pop out. But you keep doing it until they respond. Scot: What about the balance of somebody starts choking, somebody starts giving the Heimlich maneuver. Do you call 9-1-1 at that point? I mean at what point would you make that phone call? Dr. Madsen: I would make it immediately. And if you're in a situation where you have other people there, that's one thing you're going to say, call 9-1-1. I'm doing the Heimlich maneuver. If I'm in a situation where it's just me and another person, I'm going to do the Heimlich maneuver. Scot: Okay. Dr. Madsen: But then if it gets to a point where you are administering CPR, then you call 9-1-1. But usually most of the time, if you just get the Heimlich maneuver going, you're going to be successful. Scot: And then do you call 9-1-1 back and say cancel it or . . . Dr. Madsen: I would still have them come. Scot: Okay. Dr. Madsen: And at the very least, the EMTs are going to come. They're going to evaluate the patient. In my experience, they will sometimes transport that patient to the emergency department, just depending if the patient still feels like something may be lodged in there. If the patient is completely symptom free, they may just release them. But at least you can get a medic to check their vital signs and check them out. Announcer: We're your daily dose of science, conversation, medicine. This is the Scope, University of Utah, Health Science's radio.
 For Patients
Find a doctor or location close to you so you can get the health care you need, when you need it. Find a DoctorRelated PodcastsWhy is the Heimlich maneuver not recommended?Don't attempt to perform the Heimlich manoeuvre (big thrust to the abdominal area) as it can break ribs and damage internal organs. Don't put your fingers in their mouth – they may bite you accidentally and it could further lodge the object in the trachea.
What should you not do while choking?Don't slap a choking person on the back while they are upright – gravity may cause the object to slip further down the trachea (windpipe). First aid for choking adults includes back blows and chest thrusts while the person is leaning forward.
Who should not have abdominal thrusts?Don't give abdominal thrusts to babies under 1 year old or pregnant women.. Stand behind the person who's choking.. Place your arms around their waist and bend them forward.. Clench 1 fist and place it right above their belly button.. Put the other hand on top of your fist and pull sharply inwards and upwards.. Can you do the Heimlich maneuver on an unconscious person?If the person is not breathing, perform rescue breathing. If unsuccessful, give six to 10 abdominal thrusts (the Heimlich Maneuver). To perform abdominal thrusts on an unconscious person, kneel over the person and place the heel of one hand on the person's abdomen, slightly above the navel.
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When should you not do the heimlich maneuver?
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