Choking
© 2016 National Safety Council
Choking
Choking is the 4th leading cause of
unintentional death in the U.S.1
Knowing how to help can save a
life.
2 Injury
1 Facts
© 2016 National
® 2015 Edition
Safety Council
Care for Choking
Adults and Children
1. Stand behind the victim with one leg
forward between the victim’s legs. Keep
your head slightly to one side and reach
around the abdomen.
2. Make a fist with one hand and grasp it
with the other (thumb side into abdomen)
just above the navel.
3. Thrust inward and upward into the
abdomen with quick jerks. Continue until
the victim expels the object or becomes
unresponsive.
4. For a responsive pregnant victim, or any
victim you cannot get your arms around,
give chest thrusts.
3 © 2016 National Safety Council
Helping a responsive
adult or child victim…
When you see a responsive adult or child victim
• Coughing, wheezing, having difficulty breathing
• Clutching at the throat
• Pale or bluish in coloring around mouth and nail beds
Do this first:
- If coughing, encourage continued coughing to clear the
object.
- If not coughing, ask if the victim is choking or can
speak. If not, get
victim’s consent to help and give abdominal thrusts.
If the victim becomes unresponsive - call or
have someone call 9-1-1. Then provide CPR,
beginning with chest compressions. Check mouth
4 for object before giving breaths.
© 2016 National Safety Council
Self-Treating Choking
If you are alone when
choking, give yourself
abdominal thrusts to
try to expel the object.
Lean over and push
your abdomen against
the back of a chair,
table or other firm
object.
5 © 2016 National Safety Council
Care for Choking Infants
1. If a choking infant can cry or cough, watch
carefully to see if the object comes out.
2. If the infant cannot cry or cough, follow the
steps for back slaps and chest thrusts. (See
next slide)
3. If the infant becomes unresponsive, send
someone to call 9-1-1, and give CPR. Check for
an object in the mouth before you give a
breath, and remove any object you see.
6 © 2016 National Safety Council
Choking in an Infant
1. Support the infant’s head in one hand, with
the torso on your forearm and your thigh. Give
up to 5 back slaps between the shoulder
blades.
2. Check to see if the object has been
expelled. If not, continue on.
3. With other hand on back of infant’s head, roll
the infant face up. Place two fingers on
breastbone just below nipple line. Give up to 5
chest thrusts with middle and ring fingers.
Check mouth for expelled object.
Repeat above steps, alternating back slaps and
chest thrusts and checking the mouth.
Continue until the object is expelled or the
infant becomes unresponsive.
If the infant becomes unresponsive, call or
7
have someone call 9-1-1, then give CPR. Check
© 2016 National Safety Council
Knowledge and training is power.
Every minute is critical when
someone is choking or needs CPR.
8 © 2016 National Safety Council
