FirstAid_Choking

FOREIGN BODY AIRWAY OBSTRUCTION

NEVER INTERVENE

If the victim is coughing effectively, speak even in whisper or wheezing .Do not perform the Heimlich maneuver or pat them on the back. Encourage them to cough instead. Your attempt to help dislodge the object at this stage can cause further obstruction and leads to complete obstruction.

DO THESE MANEUVERS ONLY ,
If choking victim is unable to speak or cough is becoming ineffective or there are other signs of poor gas exchange.

CHOKING VICTIM IF CONSCIOUS

When you encounter a choking adult - one who is still conscious - he or she will show you the sign of hands to
the throat. Identify yourself. Tell the
person that you know the Heimlich
maneuver Ask the person,
"Can you cough?
can you speak ?

THE HEIMLICH MANEUVER
The Heimlich maneuver is to be used on conscious choking victims.
If a person can cough or speak DO NOT use the maneuver. When you encounter a choking adult - one who is still conscious - he or she will show you the sign of hands to the throat. Identify yourself. Tell the person that you know the Heimlich maneuver . Ask the person, "Can you cough? Can you speak?" If the victim can cough or speak, do not perform the Heimlich maneuver or pat them on the back. Encourage them to cough instead.

We begin the Heimlich maneuver
Find the proper stance and hand placement.
Location of giving thrusts is between navel
and lower end of chest.Locate the top of the
pelvis (approximately at the belly button), put
one foot between the victim�s feet and slide
one hand around the person�s waist with your
thumb pointing toward his belly button.
Put the other hand on top of the first, then
pull up and back - toward you -
as many times as it takes to get the object out
or until the person becomes limp.
These thrusts direction is upwards and backwards.
Every thrust should be done to expel the obstructing
object.These will be violent thrusts, as many
times as it takes.

PERFORMING CHEST THRUSTS
If a choking woman is pregnant, DO NOT perform the Heimlich maneuver, but do a series of chest thrusts instead. If the person is a female. Ask her, "Are you pregnant?" If she is pregnant, do not do abdominal thrusts , because this could injure the unborn child. Instead, perform chest thrusts .
Place the fingers of one hand at the base of the sternum, the exact same place as when you do CPR . Put the other hand on top of that one and pull in. Continue until the object comes out or the person becomes limp.

Person who is so obese
You could use the same type of chest thrusts on a you can�t reach around his belly.

HEIMLICH MANEUVER IN CHILD
If a child gives you the signal that he is choking, perform the Heimlich maneuver . First, place your hands at the same spot as in adults . The only difference is the force . The force is less and is according to size of child.

HEIMLICH MANEUVER IN INFANTS
You must assess the signs a choking infant might give: turning blue, crying without a sound, flailing arms and legs. An infant who is conscious, but choking, is not going to show you any signs like the adult or the child did. You have to assess the situation yourself.
BACK BLOWS, CHEST THRUSTS
Holding the victim head down, give a choking infant five back blows followed immediately by five chest thrusts. Repeat until the object is dislodged. Don�t do the Heimlich maneuver on an infant.
Instead, pick him up and put him lengthwise on your forearm, with his head pointed toward the ground. His body should be held firmly on your forearm, which is braced against your thigh. Give five back blows between the shoulder blades. If he doesn�t start crying, roll him to the other arm, face up. In the exact same place that you did chest compressions , use two fingers for five chest thrusts. If he�s still not crying, continue sets of five back blows, then five chest thrusts. If he goes limp go to next step

VICTIM BECOMES UNCONSCIOUS
* Position victim on back on hard surface
* Call for help & ring 911

FOREIGN BODY CHECK
This technique calls for inserting your index finger into one side of a choking victim�s mouth and sweeping it out the other to remove foreign objects. If the object is going to come out, it will happen now. Look in the victim�s mouth. If you do not see any foreign objects, try a "blind finger sweep (in adults only). Insert your finger down one side of the mouth and out the other.
If this does not produce foreign objects, the only way to know the airway is open is to give the person a breath.
NEVER DO BLIND FINGER SWEEP IN CHILD & INFANT. Remove object if only it is seen.

GIVE RESCUE BREATHS
Pinch the nose, open the airway and blow. If you don�t see the chest rise, reposition the person's head to clear the tongue and try to ventilate again.
If the second breath does not go in, THEN

DO ABDOMINAL THRUSTS
This is the procedure used for choking victims who are unconscious or who have gone limp in your arms during performance of the Heimlich maneuver. If the person goes limp in your arms, use the leg you placed between theirs to guide them safely to the floor.

GIVE 5 ABDOMINAL THRUSTS
Get astride the victim�s thighs and place the
heel of one hand at approximately the belly
button. Put the other hand on top of that one
and give five abdominal thrusts towards the
victim�s nose. This compresses the air in an
unconscious person's stomach by forcing the
abdominal organs into the diaphragm.

IF UNSUCESSFUL REPEAT WITH SAME SEQUENCE :

Look in the person's mouth; try a blind finger sweep.

If there are no visible foreign objects, give a breath.

If not,Then give five abdominal thrusts .

If the first breath does go in, give a second breath (everyone gets two breaths initially). If the second breath goes in, check for a pulse. If a pulse is present, give one breath every five seconds - rescue breathing.
Once you have resuscitated the person and he has a pulse and is breathing on his own, put him in the recovery position by rolling him on his side. This will keep airway obstructions out of the mouth.
If you happen to be alone and choking, you may use the back of a chair to perform abdominal thrusts on yourself.

VICTIM IS UNCONSCIOUS

If you arrive on the scene after a person has choked and is unconscious, use abdominal thrusts and the blind finger sweep to clear the airway.
If you arrive on the scene where an adult has already choked and is unresponsive, begin, as always, by trying to make voice contact: "Sir, can you hear me?"Then follow the procedures of CPR STARTING WITH A.B.C : Calling 911 first, followed by the ABCs of clearing the airway and giving two breaths. If the breaths don�t go in, retry by repositioning the head and giving 2 rescue breaths again .

Even if these repeat 2 rescue breaths are ineffective THAN CONSIDER AIRWAY OBSTRUCTION AS THE CAUSE OF UNCONSCIOUSNESS.

Perform five quick abdominal thrusts , followed by a blind finger sweep and again give rescue breaths and start the same cycle over again. till the time your rescue breaths are effective you have to continue with the same sequence.

ONCE YOUR RESCUE BREATHS ARE EFFECTIVE , THAT MEANS AIRWAY IS CLEAR , YOU NOW GO ON TO STEP C OF CPR AND GIVE CHEST COMPRESSIONS.Once the person has a pulse and is breathing on his own, put him in the recovery position.

SEQUENCE IN UNCONSCIOUS VICTIM

SHOUT---Are you O.K ??
CALL FOR HELP . RING 911
POSITION VICTIM ON BACK ON HARD SURFACE
STEP 1 : OPEN AIRWAY --Head Tilt & Chin Lift
STEP 2 : GIVE 2 RESCUE BREATHS
REPOSITION AND REPEAT 2 BREATHS

IF THESE STEPS ARE INEFFECTIVE IN MAKING CHEST RISE OF VICTIM , SUSPECT FOREIGN BODY AIRWAY OBSTRUCTION, AND DO:------

ABDOMINAL THRUST : In lying down position

FOREIGN BODY CHECK : Finger sweep ( in Adults only )

GIVE RESCUE BREATHS

CONTINUE WITH THE SAME SEQUENCE TILL OBJECT IS EXPELLED.



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