Almost choking: don't hit on the back!

[Mother Goose]

Sorry I didn't see this earlier.

tilting the individual upside down as a first response is a good idea. However, I understand the reason they are not educating people to instantly give the 4 blows to the back, is that it must be done in a particular way to prevent the person swallowing the item they are choking on.

It is also important to keep in mind that there are other things you can do to encourage the object to move. My FIRST port of call is to always ask the person to do a big cough for me. Often that pressure is enough to dislodge the item.

If the person is able to cry or talk, they are getting air in and the situation is much less catastrophic than if the person can't.


If you do find yourself needing to administer back blows to assist in dislodging an item from someone's airway you should;

Put them over your knee (size permitting ) face down with their head lower than the remainder of the body
Administer 4 firm strikes to the back between the shoulder blades
The blows should be administered with an open hand and in the direction the person is tilting (so towards their head).


Re putting your fingers in their mouth... NO WAY! NEVER do this. You could push the object further down the airway and/or get your fingers bitten off Never put your fingers into an unconscious persons mouth either unless it is really really really necessary!

It is always scary when we find ourselves with someone choking but it is important to remain calm. If you are calm, the person is less likely to panic. If they panic, everything constricts and they may go into further respiratory distress.

[Kazbah]

Great comment MG.

I'd like to remind people that keeping your first aid up-to-date is a small investment for a lot of gain. We had a story of one of the first aid blokes at work performed CPR (successfully) on the grandfather of a bride who's wedding he was attending when he had a heart attack. Such a simple thing as a day a year saved this gent's life, and gave the bride a happy wedding memory.

First aid techniques are constantly refined to make it easier and to take advantage of new technology - don't put it off, sign up for a course today.

[Boo Boo]

Thanks Bath, also thanks to everyone about the ice to the head (NOT to put ice on head injuries) thread, I think from yesterday....I love BB, the things I learn....and for all the choking stories, it sure is scary....

Laurin xxx

[luna moth]

Yeah I think thats part of the reason they tell people not to do the hymlick manouver anymore either, and I think that's what everyones first instinct is I guess.

Thank Hollywood for that. I don't know if it's ever actually been taught in Australia, I could be wrong, but I thought I heard that somewhere. I have been Senior First Aid certified since 1993, and it has never been included in a course.

I have been present at two choking incidents - one at a Mothers' Group where a 1 year old was walking around with a rice cake and everyone, including an RN, just started to panic and scream. The other was a two year old eating popcorn, and both happened in the same week, so I am SO wary of kids eating these foods now!

[squidipa]

my ds chokes most days he is 20 months old. He does the silent chokes so i first do the lean forward then fingers down throat then hit back.

[Toomanytoomany]

Thank Hollywood for that. I don't know if it's ever actually been taught in Australia, I could be wrong, but I thought I heard that somewhere. I have been Senior First Aid certified since 1993, and it has never been included in a course.

I have been present at two choking incidents - one at a Mothers' Group where a 1 year old was walking around with a rice cake and everyone, including an RN, just started to panic and scream. The other was a two year old eating popcorn, and both happened in the same week, so I am SO wary of kids eating these foods now!

The Heimlich manouevre has never been a standard part of first aid in Australia, I think, but it certainly isn't now. People know it from the movies... but there isn't actually clinical evidence that it works better than the methods mentioned above, and there is plenty of evidence that it can do more harm than good.

[Bathsheba]

Time for a

[Freya]

Didnt know this thread existed but definately should be stickied atleast! We had a choking incident (ds1 with an ice cube) a few weeks back that terrified me. Dh put him upside down and out coughed the ice cube (although I guess it would eventually melt and not be an obstruction anymore but ds1 was turning blue from being unable to breathe, pretty big ice cube and he was panicking).