Steps to administer the first aid
- If you are able, gently lean the person forward so their upper body is parallel with the ground. Use one arm across the person's chest for support. If the person is a child, kneel down behind them.
- Use the heel of your free hand to give 5 quick thumps (back blows) between the person's shoulder blades.
Then perform 5 abdominal thrusts. Abdominal thrusts lift the diaphragm. They force enough air from the lungs to create an artificial cough. This cough helps move air through the windpipe, pushing and expelling the obstruction out of the airway and mouth:
Reach around the person's waist.
Position one clenched fist above the navel (belly button) and below the rib cage.
Grasp your fist with your other hand. Pull the clenched fist sharply and directly backward and upward under the rib cage 5 times quickly.
If the person is obese or in late pregnancy, give chest thrusts.
Keep doing back blows and abdominal thrusts without stopping until the obstruction is relieved, the person becomes unconscious, or advanced life support is available. In either case, the person should be examined by a healthcare provider as soon as possible.
If you are by yourself and choking, you can do thrusts on yourself. Or you can thrust your upper abdomen against the back of a chair or the edge of a counter.
To minimize possible harm, back blows and abdominal thrusts should only be used in actual emergencies when it is sure that the person is choking. Use this method only in adults and children over 1 year old.
A different method is used in infants under 1 year old. Discuss the correct first aid choking method for your child with their healthcare provider.