Choking

If you think that someone is choking, ask them to talk. Genuine choking will prevent this, and they will usually only be able to signal to you with their hands, either grasping or pointing to their throat.

They will certainly need your help.

The best way to treat a choking subject is to use a method described by Heimlich – an abdominal thrust:

• Ask the person to cough, but don’t waste time.
• Give up to five sharp slaps between the shoulder blades with the flat of your hand.

• Stand behind the person who is choking, place your arms around their waist, and bend them forward.
• Clench your fist and place thumb inwards between above the person's belly button and the bottom of their breastbone.
• Place your other hand on top, then thrust both hands inwards and upwards into the stomach with a hard movement up to five times.
• Check their mouth. If the obstruction is still not cleared, repeat the back slaps and thrusts up to three times, checking their mouth after each step until the object which is stuck is expelled from their mouth. If the obstruction has still not cleared, DIAL 999 FOR AN AMBULANCE. Continue with your efforts until help arrives or the person becomes unconscious. Then give mouth to mouth resuscitation, as the throat may relx enough for some breaths to get through. If you cannot get air in, give chest cmpressions to try to release the obstruction quickly.
• You can also perform this manoeuvre on yourself by placing a clenched fist above your belly button with the other hand on top, and thrusting your fist hard into your stomach.