Choking occurs when food or a foreign object is stuck in the throat and blocks the airway. Infants often put small objects in their mouths and are at an increased risk of choking. Severe choking requires quick action. Immediately perform back slaps and chest thrusts.
Table 3 will help determine whether the choking is mild or severe.
| DEGREE OF OBSTRUCTION | RESPONSIVENESS | RESCUERS ACTIONS |
|---|---|---|
| Mild Obstruction |
|
|
| Severe Obstruction |
|
|
Table 3
Figure 28
RELIEF OF CHOKING
Back slaps and chest thrusts are used on infants who are choking.
When an infant is choking, do the following:
- Hold the infant in your lap.
- Put the infant face down and the head lower than the chest; the infant should be resting on your forearm. Put your forearm on your thigh (Figure 28a).
- Support the infant’s head and neck with your hand and be sure to avoid putting pressure on the throat.
- Give five back slaps between the infant’s shoulder blades with the heel of your hand. (Figure 28b).
- Using both hands and arms, turn the infant face up, so they are now resting on your other arm; this arm should now be resting on your thigh.
- Using two fingers in the same spot as for CPR, provide five quick chest thrusts (Figure 28c).
- If the obstruction is not relieved, turn the infant face down on your other forearm and repeat the process. (Figure 28d).
- Continue until the infant begins to breathe or becomes unresponsive.
Try to keep the infant’s head lower than the rest of the body when performing back slaps and chest thrusts. If you can see a foreign object in the infant’s mouth and can easily remove it, do so. Avoid blindly sweeping the mouth with a finger as it may push a foreign object deeper into the airway. Watch and feel for breathing to begin.
If the infant stops responding, position them on a firm, flat surface, and yell for help. Check for breathing and begin CPR. After 30 compressions for one provider or 15 compressions for two, open the airway and look for a foreign object. If visible, remove it and attempt to ventilate with two breaths.
You will know an infant has become unresponsive as they will stop moving and squirming in your arms and the body will become limp. In this case, begin CPR immediately with chest compressions followed by giving breaths. If the infant does not respond or begin breathing, continue to provide CPR until additional help arrives.