Choking

Table of Contents

Call EMS (911) 

Choking occurs when an object blocks the airway, either by lodging in the throat or windpipe.

Actions

Infants under 1 year

Begin the following if the infant is choking and is unable to breathe. However, if the infant is coughing or crying, do not do any of the following, but call EMS, try to calm the child, and watch for worsening symptoms. If the cough becomes ineffective (loss of sound), begin step 1 below. 

  1. Position the infant, with head slightly lower than chest, face down on your arm and support the head (support jaw; do not compress throat).
  2. Give up to 5 back slaps with the heel of the hand between the infant's shoulder blades.
  3. If the object is not coughed up, position the infant face up on your forearm with the head slightly lower than the rest of the body.
  4. With 2 or 3 fingers, give 5 chest thrusts near the center of the breastbone, just below the nipple line.
  5. Open the infant's mouth and look. If a foreign object is seen, sweep it out with the finger.
  6. Repeat steps 1-5 until the object is coughed up or the infant starts to breathe or becomes unconscious.
  7. Call EMS after 2 minutes (5 cycles of 30 compressions to 2 rescue breaths) if not already called.

Children Over 1 year of age and adults

Begin the following if the individual is choking and unable to breathe. Ask the individual: ā€œAre you choking?ā€ If the individual nods yes or canā€™t respond, help is needed. 

However, if the individual is coughing, crying or speaking, do not do any of the following, but call EMS, try to calm the individual and watch for worsening of symptoms. If the cough becomes ineffective (loss of sound) and the individual can speak, begin step 1 below.

  1. Stand or kneel behind the individual with arms encircling the individual.
  2. Place the thumbside of fist against the middle of the abdomen just above the navel. (Do not place your hand over the very bottom of the breastbone. Grasp fist with other hand).
  3. Give up to 5 quick inward and upward abdominal thrusts.
  4. Repeat steps 1-2 until the object is coughed up, the individual starts to breathe or the individual becomes unconscious.