Choking first aid | British Red Cross (2024)

FAQs

Choking first aid | British Red Cross? ›

Place one arm diagonally across their chest. Bend them forward at the waist so the upper body is parallel to the ground. Firmly strike them between the shoulder blades 5 times with the heel of the hand. Have each back blow be separate from the others.

Place one arm diagonally across their chest. Bend them forward at the waist so the upper body is parallel to the ground. Firmly strike them between the shoulder blades 5 times with the heel of the hand. Have each back blow be separate from the others.

Stand behind the person who is choking. Place your arms around their waist and bend them well forward. Clench 1 fist and place it just above the person's belly button. Place your other hand on top of your fist and pull sharply inwards and upwards.

First aid for a choking person

If a person is choking and cannot talk, cry or laugh forcefully, give five back blows and then five abdominal thrusts.

What is the advised first aid technique for choking? A series of back blows and under-the-diaphragm abdominal thrusts are advised for adults and children over age one year who are choking on a piece of food or a foreign object and are conscious.

If they're still choking, call 999 for medical help. Once you've called 999, continue steps two and three – back blows and abdominal thrusts – until what's in there has cleared, help arrives or they become unresponsive. If they become unconscious, support the person to lie down and check their breathing.

Bend them forwards and give up to 5 back blows to try and dislodge the blockage. Hit them firmly on their back with the heel of your hand between the shoulder blades. Hitting them on their back creates a strong vibration and pressure in the airway, which is often enough to dislodge the blockage.

Do not try to dislodge the object by hitting the child on the back or squeezing the stomach – this may move the object into a more dangerous position and cause the child to stop breathing. Stay with the child and watch to see if their breathing improves.

What are the 4 steps to help a person who is choking? ›

First aid for a person choking

Maintaining a clear airway is always the priority to make sure the person can keep breathing.

Place the thumb-side of your fist into the child's belly just above the bellybutton (navel). Grasp your fist with your other hand. Use fast, short motions to thrust inward and upward, giving 5 quick abdominal thrusts. Don't lift the child off the floor while doing this.

What should you do if the Heimlich maneuver doesn't work? Perform CPR and have someone call 911 at the same time.

Give two slow, full breaths with a pause in between. If the person's chest does not rise, reposition the head and give two more breaths. If the chest still does not rise, the airway is likely blocked, and you need to start CPR with chest compressions. The compressions may help relieve the blockage.

If you're trained in CPR and you've performed 30 chest compressions, open the person's airway using the head-tilt, chin-lift maneuver. Put your palm on the person's forehead and gently tilt the head back. Then with the other hand, gently lift the chin forward to open the airway.