The universal distress signal for choking is grabbing the throat with the hand.
Other danger signs include:
Murray, JF. Textbook of Respiratory Medicine. 3rd Ed. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders; 2000.
Marx JA, Hockberger RS, Walls RM, eds. Rosen’s Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 5th Ed. St. Louis, MO: Mosby; 2002.