CHOKING Anything that goes down a person’s windpipe, rather than the food passage, must be brought up again as soon as possible. Conscious Victim 1. Remove food or loose false teeth from the mouth. (Do not try to locate the object with your finer. Encourage the victim to cough. It may be all that is needed to dislodge the blockage. 2. If this fails, help the victim to bend over with the head lower than the chest. He can be either sitting or standing. Slap him between the shoulder blades smartly with the heel of the hand up to four times. Each slap should be strong enough to dislodge the blockage. 3. If the victim still cannot breathe, stand or kneel behind him. Clench your fist and put it, thumb inwards, between the navel and the bottom of the breastbone 4. Hold your list with the other hand and pull both hands towards you with a quick upward-and-inward thrust from the elbows. You are trying to pull the upper abdomen against the bottom of the lungs to drive out the remaining air and force out the blockage. Repeat up to four times, Each thrust must be hard enough to move the blockage. Small Children 1. Encourage the child to cough. If this fails, lay the child over your knee with the head down. Support the chest with one hand while you slap him smartly with the heel of the hand up to four times. Each slap must be strong enough to dislodge the blockage. 2. If the child is still not breathing, sit him on your lap and perform abdominal thrusts (steps 3 and 4) but use only one hand. Babies 1. Lay the baby head downwards with the body lying along your forearm using your hand to support the head and chest. Slap smartly between the shoulder blades with your fingers up to four times, using much less force than for an adult. 2. If the baby still does not breathe, hold him on his back with the head titled well back to open up the airway. Apply abdominal thrusts with two fingers of one hand, pressing quickly forwards and downwards just above the navel. Repeat up to four times. If the victim becomes unconscious 1. Start the kiss of life 2. If a third person is present, tell him to call emergency and ask for an ambulance. If you are on you own, do not stop the kiss of life until normal breathing resumes. 3. If the kiss of life does not initiate the lungs with the first four breaths, roll the victim into the side nearest to you with the chest against your thigh and head well back. Give up to four slaps on the back. 4. Look in the mouth to see if the blockage has become dislodged. If it has, hook it out with a finger. 5. If not, turn the victim onto his back and tilt the head well back. Straddle the victim’s thighs, ,or kneel alongside. Put the heel of one hand between the navel and the bottom of the breastbone. 6. Cover your hand with the other hand, and give a quick downward-and-forward thrust with your arms straight. Repeat up to four times. 7. Check the mouth to see if the blockage has been dislodged. If it has, hook it out with a finger. 8. If not, resume the kiss of death. 9. If the lungs do not expand afte the first four breaths, repeat steps 3 to 7 |
