Everything that follows in this post is from the BLS Notes Pages of the Texas Onsite CPR site [except for information I have added which will be in brackets].
Choking
Adult Conscious Choking
- Are you choking?
- Can you speak?
- Can I HELP you?
- Provide inward and upward Abdominal Thrusts, just above the navel.
Adult Unconscious Choking: (NO BLIND FINGER SWEEPS)
- Call 911
- Open the airway remove the object if you see it, then begin CPR (30 compressions to 2
- breaths)
- Every time you open the airway to give breaths look for the object
- Then continue CPR (30 to 2)
Choking – Child Conscious Choking:
- Are you choking?
- Can you speak?
- Can I HELP you? (ask the parent if you can help their child)
- Provide inward and upward abdominal thrust, just above the navel to relive the obstruction.
Child Unconscious Choking: NO BLIND FINGER SWEEPS
- Call for help, send bystander to call 911 or activate EMS
- Open the airway, remove the object if you see it, then begin CPR, with a ratio of 30 compressions to 2 breaths.
- Every time you open the airway to give breaths look for the object.
- Then continue CPR with a ratio of 30 compressions to 2 breaths.
- If no one came to call 911 or activate EMS, you call after 2 minutes of CPR
Infant Conscious Choking:
- Look for choking signs, like bluish skin, lips or nose, high-pitched noise
- Pick up the infant and give 5 back blows between the shoulder blades, with the head supported and with the head lower then the infant’s bottom
- Then flip the infant and provide 5 chest thrusts just below the nipple line, keeping the head lower that the infant’s bottom
- Repeat until infants able to cry or becomes unconscious
Infant Unconscious Choking: NO BLIND FINGER SWEEPS
- Call for help, send bystander to call 911 or activate EMS
- Open the airway, remove the object if you see, begin CPR at a ratio of 30 to 2
- Every time you open the airway to give breaths look for the object
- Then continue CPR at a ratio of 30 to 2
- If no one came to call 911 or activate EMS, you call after 2 minutes or 5 cycles of CPR
