What to do if a person chokes? A doctor has named the most important technique when giving aid

What to do if a person chokes? A doctor has named the most important technique when giving aid

If someone is choking nearby, don’t tap them on the back, but use the Heimlich method.

Medical practitioner at LabQuest + Q-Clinica Medical Company

“Probably each of you at least once in your life met with such a situation, when a person choked and began to choke. At this time, the most important thing is not to panic, as the victim himself is frightened by what has happened. And, of course, it is important to learn the techniques of rendering assistance”.

What to do if a person chokes and suffocates

First of all, it is important to know the rules of eating in order not to get into such a situation:

• take small bites;
• do not talk while eating, because not for nothing there is a saying “when I eat – I am deaf and dumb”;
• do not eat dry, but drink water with your food;
• chew your food thoroughly.

On a side note: watch out for small children, because when learning about the world they are ready to put anything in their nose and mouth.

The most important technique when giving aid is the Heimlich technique

Slapping the injured person on the back, as many people are accustomed to doing, is dangerous. Tapping can only make the situation worse by pushing the foreign body deeper into the airway.

The Heimlich technique is as follows: the person rendering aid should stand behind the back of the victim, then clench one hand into a fist and place it on the abdomen (below the mecoid process, just above the navel) of the person who is choking. The palm of the other hand is placed on top of the fist, a quick upward push of the fist is pressed into the abdomen from one to three to five times. Thanks to this the person’s breathing is restored.

I personally tested the effectiveness of this method. Being a teenager, I choked on a chocolate candy, and it was good that my mother was at home – she immediately stood behind my back and applied this method. Bottom line – I’m alive and well. The only downside – I had to clean the light-colored palace after the candy, but that’s a mundane matter. And yes, I stopped eating chocolate, but that’s a small digression.

If the victim can’t get pressure on the abdomen (such as during pregnancy), it is recommended to push the chest instead. The hands are placed on the lower half of the breastbone, but not at the most terminal point, which is the mecoid process and can be broken.

This technique is also suitable for helping children, but the methodology is slightly different.

Heimlich technique for children under one year of age

Position the child on your arm so that the baby’s face rests in the palm of your hand. Secure the baby’s head well with your fingers. The legs should be on opposite sides of the forearm of your hand. It is necessary to tilt the baby’s body down slightly. The patting is done with the palm of your hand in the area between the shoulder blades.

Heimlich technique for children over one year old

It is necessary to put the child on his back and sit on his knees at his feet. Place the index and middle fingers of both hands in the epigastric region. Apply moderate pressure in this area until the foreign body clears the airway. The technique should be performed on the floor or any other hard surface.

Parents, grandparents and other adult relatives need to remember the rules of child safety.

• Tell the baby why you can not take small parts in your mouth. And if he inhales something or chokes on something, to immediately tell the adults about it.
• Make sure that there are no small parts in the child’s reach – beads, buttons, batteries, small parts of the constructor. They should not be on clothes or toys.
• Explain that it is not allowed to laugh and fidget while eating.

• In no case threaten to punish – afraid that he will be scolded, the child can simply not say that he swallowed something or inhaled, and this is dangerous for his life.
• If suddenly, still the situation is out of control, take the phone and immediately dial or ask people passing by to dial “112”, calling an ambulance. Although all techniques are explained, no one can predict how a child will behave in any given situation.

Do not pass by, if you see that a person became ill while eating, or missing some small toys and a baby coughs a lot – behave calmly, and you will succeed. But a call to the service “112” will not hurt.