11/13/24, 7\:18 PM Guide | Adult choking

Adult choking

Table of contents

Ensure personal safety

Before approaching any emergency situation, you should ensure that it is safe to do so.
Look for hazards in the environment which may put you at risk.

Identi

Suspect choking if a person becomes suddenly unable to talk. This may also be associated with gagging/trying to cough or
clutching at their throat. They may attempt to “signal” that they are choking.
Contextual and environmental clues may aid in the identi
child has been playing with small toys/bringing things to their mouth.
Choking and eating
The majority of choking cases are associated with eating. Choking is more common at the extremes of age (age \<5 and
>90).

Encourage them to cough

Choking can cause people to panic, so try to keep them calm. Speak loudly and clearly to gain their attention, and ask “ c a n
y o u c o u g h ?”
.
If the cough is e
If the cough is ine
blows and abdominal thrusts.

Perform back blows

1. Lean the patient forward
2. With the heel of your hand, apply a
3. Repeat this up to
4. If the obstruction clears, re-assess the patient
5. If the obstruction does not clear, move on to giving abdominal thrusts

Give abdominal thrusts

1. Lean the patient forward
2. Clench the
https\://app.geekymedics.com/osce-guides/clinical-procedures/adult-choking/ 1/211/13/24, 7\:18 PM Guide | Adult choking
3. Place the other hand over your
4. Pull sharply inwards and upwards
5. Repeat this up to
6. If the obstruction clears, re-assess the patient
7. If the obstruction does not clear, continue alternating between

If the patient becomes unresponsive

If at any point the patient becomes unresponsive, immediately start basic life support. Performing chest compressions may
dislodge the foreign body.
Update emergency medical services that the patient is now unresponsive and CPR is being started.

If the obstruction clears

Once the obstruction is clear of the airway, ask the patient to spit out any remaining debris. Encourage them to take slow,
deep breaths.
Any patient who has needed abdominal thrusts for choking requires a medical assessment (usually by attending the
emergency department) due to the risk of internal injury (e.g. rib fractures, oesophageal rupture). They may also need a chest
X-ray.
Wait with the patient until the ambulance arrives.

Handover

When the ambulance arrives, hand over the patient using SBAR format.

References

1. Resuscitation Council (UK). Adult Basic Life Support Guidelines 2021. Available from\: [LINK]
2. Pavitt MJ, Nevett J, Swanton LL, et al. London ambulance source data on choking incidence for the calendar year 2016\: an
observational study. BMJ Open Resp Res 2017;4\:e000215.
Source\: geekymedics.com
https\://app.geekymedics.com/osce-guides/clinical-procedures/adult-choking/ 2/2