First Aid - Choking
Choking occurs when
the airway is partially or totally obstructed by something which, when
swallowed, has gone into the windpipe rather than the food passage.
Other Causes
• A muscular spasm.
• Inadequately chewed
food causing obstructions.
• Children putting
small objects inside their mouths.
Signs
and Symptoms
• Gripplng at the
throat
• Coughing.
•
Difflculty in breathing.
• Inability to speak.
• Blue lips and mouth.
• possible
unconsciousness.
Treatment
if the person cannot cough out the object:
• Help
casually bend over, placing heed lower than their lungs.
• Apply a maximum of five backslaps with the heel of your hand
between the shoulder blades.
• Cheek mouth - sweep
out object if possible.
If backslaps fail:
• stand behind the person, place the thumb side of one of your
fists against the person's abdomen. between the navel and the breast
bone. Grasp your fist with Your other hand,
pull Inward and
upward.
• Repeat up to tour times.
It the person is still choking, repeat the backslaps, then abdominal
thrusts. Do not push on the edge of the ribcage or on the end of the
breastbone, (which runs down the centre of the chest.
If the patient is a child only use abdominal thrusts if trained to do
so.
DO NOT use abdominal thrusts if the patient is a baby.
Object in Throat:
Objects such as: Piece of food, fish-bone, false-teeth.
Symptoms:
Difficulty to: Swallow, vomits, suffocation signs.
When food or something else sticks in a person's throat and he cannot
breathe, quickly do this: 
- Stand behind him and wrap your arms around his waist,
- put your fist against his belly above the navel and below the ribs,
- and press into his belly with a sudden strong upward jerk.
This forces the air from his lungs and should free his throat. Repeat several times if necessary.
If the person is a lot bigger than you, or is already unconscious, quickly do this:
- Lay him on his back.
- Tilt his head to one side.
- Sit over him like this, with the heel of your lower hand on his belly between his navel and ribs. (For fat persons, pregnant women, persons in wheelchairs, or small children, place hands on the chest, not the belly.) Make a quick, strong upward push.
- Repeat several times if necessary.
