CHOKING ADULT

If the person is conscious, ask if he is Ok. "Are you ok?"

• If he can breathe and talk, don't interfere. If he cannot talk, or seems to be in distress or cannot breathe, perform the Heimlich maneuver.
• Stand behind the person, make a fist, press the thumb-side of your fist up against the person's abdomen, above the navel. Grab the wrist of that hand with your other hand, and make rapid thrusts, up and towards the back.
• Continue performing the Heimlich until either the piece of food pops out of the person's mouth or he becomes unconscious.
• Remember, if the patient looks pregnant, do chest thrusts instead of abdomen thrusts

If he becomes unconscious, lower him to the floor, position him supine.

• CALL FOR HELP! CALL CALL CALL ! DON'T MISS THIS STEP!
• If person is not breathing, start CPR with chest compressions. Do NOT do a pulse check. Perform 30 chest compressions.
• Now open the person's mouth and look for any objects , if any seen , use your fingers to remove it. Do not do a blind finger sweep.
• Do a head-tilt chin lift to open the airway and give two breaths. Each breath is for one second. Check whether is chest is rising. If you are giving mouth to mouth breaths (not recommended in an hospital setting) remember to pinch his nose shut while giving him a breath through his mouth.
• Continue these cycles of 30 chest compressions -> check airway -> 2 breaths until the object is expelled or EMS arrives.
• Once you are able to give a breath that makes his chest rise, THEN CHECK HIS CAROTID PULSE
• If no pulse, continue CPR, treat him as a pulseless arrest, have someone get a defibrillator while you continue CPR and wait for EMS to arrive.

REMEMBER, NO PULSE CHECK IN CHOKING ADULT UNTIL YOU CAN GIVE HIM A BREATH THAT MAKES HIS CHEST RISE!