First Aid Procedures For Chocking

​​Here are steps to help clear an obstructed airway in a conscious adult or child.

Conscious ​Adults

Step 1: Determine if the person can speak or cough. If not, proceed to the next step.

Step 2: Perform an abdominal thrust (Heimlich maneuver):

  • From behind, wrap your arms around the victim's waist.
  • Make a fist and place the thumb side of your fist against the victim's upper abdomen, below the rib cage and above the navel.
  • Grasp your fist with your other hand and press into their upper abdomen with a quick upward thrust. Do not squeeze the rib cage. Confine the force of the thrust to your hands.

Step 3: Repeat until object is expelled.

  • A chest thrust may be used for markedly obese persons or in late stages of pregnancy.
  • If the adult or child becomes unresponsive, perform CPR.
  • If you see an object in the throat or mouth, remove it.
First Aid Preocedures For Chocking Concious Adult

Conscious Children ages 1–8

Step 1: Determine if the child can speak or cough. If not, proceed to the next step.

Step 2: Perform an abdominal thrust (Heimlich maneuver) repeatedly until the foreign body is expelled.

Step 3: A chest thrust may be used for markedly obese children.

If the child becomes unresponsive, perform CPR.

If you see an object in the throat or mouth, remove it.

CAUTION: Do not perform a blind finger sweep as this may push the object back into the airway.

Conscious Infant less than age 1

Step 1: Determine if the infant can cry or cough. If not, proceed to next step.

Step 2: Give five back blows.

Step 3: Give five chest thrusts.

Step 4: Repeat steps 2 and 3 above until effective or the infant becomes unconscious.

If the infant becomes unresponsive, perform CPR.

If you see an object in the throat or mouth, remove it.

Conscious infant less than age 1

CAUTION: Do not perform a blind finger sweep as this may push the object back into the airway.