Choking - unconscious adult or child over 1 year

Alternative Names

First Aid

1. Roll the person onto their back on a hard surface, keeping their back in a straight line, firmly supporting their head and neck. Expose the person's chest.

2. Open the person's mouth with your thumb and index finger, placing your thumb over his tongue and your index finger under his chin. If the object is visible and loose, remove it. If the person is older than age 8, sweep two fingers from one side of the throat to the other to attempt to remove the object.

3. Lift the person's chin while tilting the head back to move the tongue away from the windpipe.

4. Place your ear close to the person's mouth and watch for chest movement. For 5 seconds, look, listen, and feel for breathing.

5. If the person is breathing, give first aid for unconsciousness.

6. If the person is not breathing, begin rescue breathing. Maintain the head position, close the person's nostrils by pinching them with your thumb and index finger, and cover the person's mouth tightly with your mouth. Give two slow, full breaths, with a pause in between.

7. If the person's chest does not rise, reposition the head and give two more breaths.

8. Open the person's mouth with your thumb and index finger. If the object is visible and loose, remove it.

9. If the object is removed, but the person has no pulse, begin CPR with chest compressions. IF no object is visible, begin CPR.

10. If the person starts having convulsions or seizures, give first aid for this problem.

DO NOT

DO NOT try to grasp an object that is lodged in the person's throat. This might push it farther down the airway. If the object can be seen in the mouth, it may be removed.

DO NOT begin the chest compressions of CPR (if heartbeat has stopped) until the airway is cleared.

When to Contact a Medical Professional

Seek medical help right away if someone is found unconscious.

If you are not alone, have one person call the local emergency number while another person begins CPR. If you are alone, shout for help. If you are trained in CPR, call the local emergency number and then give CPR.