Choking (for
unconscious adult or child over 1 year)
Alternative names:
The first aid
procedure for choking is also referred to as the Heimlich
maneuver or abdominal thrusts
Definition:
The stoppage or
hindrance of breathing by obstruction or irritation of the
windpipe.
Considerations:
Without oxygen
the brain can begin to die within 4 to 6 minutes. Rapid first
aid for choking can save
a life.
Following the expulsion of the object that caused the choking,
keep the victim still and get medical help. All choking victims
should have a medical examination, since complications can
arise not only from the incident but also from the first aid
measures that were taken.
Occasionally an object will enter the lung instead of being
expelled. While the victim may appear to improve and breathe
normally, in a few days signs and symptoms of a foreign body
in the lung will appear such as, wheezing,
persistent cough, and
pneumonia. If this happens,
get medical help immediately.
Causes:
- Eating (especially
eating and laughing at the same time, eating with improperly
fitted dentures, eating too fast, and failing to chew food
well enough).
- Alcohol
consumption (even a small amount of alcohol affects
awareness).
- Trauma to the
head and face (blood clots
or bleeding can cause
choking).
- Small objects
swallowed by young children.
Updated Date: 10/1/99
Updated By:J. Gordon Lambert, MD, Associate Medical Director,
Utah Health Informatics and adam.com
editorial
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