American Red Cross - Module 4 – Choking Questions and Answers

American Red Cross - Module 4 – Choking Questions and Answers How does choking occur? Choking occurs when the airway becomes either partially or completely blocked by a foreign object (e.g., a piece of food, a small toy, or body fluids, such as vomit or blood). What are common choking hazards for children? Common choking hazards for young children and infants include hot dogs; apples; grapes; popcorn; peanut butter; hard, gooey, or sticky candy; teething biscuits; plastic bags; broken or uninflated balloons; coins; buttons; magnets; marbles; toys meant for older children, which may be small or have small parts. What are common signs of choking? 1. HOLDING THE NECK The person may hold their neck with one or both hands. 2. FACIAL EXPRESSION The person may look panicked, confused or surprised. 3. SKIN COLOR The person may be turning blue. 4. SOUNDS OR NO SOUNDS You may hear coughing, high-pitched squeaking noises, or see them trying to cough, speak or cry but hear nothing at all. How do you take action if someone is choking? 1. Obtain consent. 2. Verify if the person is choking by asking them, "are you choking?" Should you begin administering care if the choking person is able to speak, cry, or cough forcefully? No. Instead, encourage them to keep coughing. 1. Keep checking on the person. 2. Prepare to act if their condition changes. 3. Do not allow them to leave your presence. How do you know if an adult or child is choking? They are making high-pitched noises or is unable to speak, cry or cough forcefully and have a blocked airway, They will soon become unresponsive unless the airway is cleared. 5-and-5 Technique Care for a responsive choking adult or child consists of giving: - 5 back blows, - 5 abdominal thrusts. How do you give back blows to a choking adult or child? 1. Position yourself to the side and slightly behind the choking person. 2. Place one arm diagonally across the person's chest. 3. Bend the person at the waist so that their upper body is as parallel to the ground as possible. 4. Firmly strike the person to give 5 back blows between the shoulder blades with the heel of your hand. Each back blow should be separate from the others. How do you give abdominal thrusts to a choking adult or child? 1. Find the person's navel with two fingers. 2. Move behind the person. 3. Place your front foot in between the person's feet with your knees slightly bent to provide balance and stability. 4. Make a fist with your other hand and place the thumb side against the person's stomach, right above your fingers. 5. Take your first hand and cover your fist with that hand. 6. Pull inward and upward to give 5 abdominal thrusts. Each of the abdominal thrusts should be separate from the others. When should you administer chest thrusts? If the person is pregnant, too large to stand behind and reach around or if the person is in a wheelchair and you are unable to give abdominal thrusts. How do you give chest thrusts to a choking adult or child? 1. Make a fist with one hand. 2. Place the thumb side of your fist on the center of the person's chest. 3. Grab your fist with the other hand. 4. Give 5 quick thrusts into the chest. How do you ensure effective back blows are given to a choking child? When giving care to a choking child who is small, you might need to kneel behind them to provide effective back blows and abdominal thrusts. What should be done if the choking person becomes unresponsive while providing care? 1. If the choking person becomes unresponsive while you're giving care, carefully lower them to a firm, flat surface. 2. Then immediately begin CPR, beginning with compressions. 3. Before attempting breaths, open the mouth and look for an object. If you see an object, remove it with a finger sweep. NOTE: Never do a finger sweep if you don't see an object because you might push the object further back! Should you do a finger sweep on a choking and unresponsive adult or child before giving rescue breaths if you cannot see an object? NO. Never do a finger sweep if you don't see an object because you might push the object further back! What should be done if breaths do not go in on an unresponsive choking adult or child? If breaths do not go in, that is, the chest does not begin to rise, continue with cycles of compressions followed by looking in the mouth and then trying to give breaths. When giving back blows, where on the choking person's back should the responder give back blows? When giving back blows, firmly strike the person between the shoulder blades with the heel of your hand. When giving back blows and abdominal thrusts to a small child, you may need to do which of the following? If the choking child is small, you might need to kneel behind them to provide effective back blows and abdominal thrusts. You may need to give chest thrusts in which of the following situations? Select 3 answers. If a person is pregnant, too large for you to stand behind and reach around or if the person is in a wheelchair and you are unable to give abdominal thrusts, you will need to give chest thrusts. When giving abdominal thrusts, where on the choking person's abdomen should the responder place their hands. After finding the person's navel with two fingers and moving behind them, make a fist and place the thumb side against the person's stomach, right above your fingers. Then, take your first hand and cover your fist with that hand. If the responsive choking person becomes unresponsive, what care should you give? If the choking person becomes unresponsive while you're giving care, carefully lower them to a firm, flat surface. Then immediately begin CPR, beginning with compressions. Before attempting breaths, open the mouth and look for an object. If you see an object, remove it with a finger sweep. How do you give back blows to a choking infant? 1. Place the infant's back along your forearm. 2. Place your other forearm on the infant's front, supporting the infant's jaw with your thumb and fingers. 3. Turn the infant to a face-down position and hold them along your forearm using your thigh for support and keeping the infant's head lower than their body. 4. Use the heel of your hand to give 5 firm back blows between the infant's shoulder blades. Each back blow should be separate from the others.