Health - First Aid. Choking: The Right Actions to Know for Effective Intervention

Airway obstruction . This is the technical term for an obstacle that hinders or prevents breathing. In short, it's choking.

Every year in France, 50 children under the age of 5 die after ingesting a small foreign object such as a peanut, an olive, or a toy. But adults can also be affected, particularly in cases of foodborne illness.

How to recognize choking?

There are two types of airway obstruction, each with distinct signs:

• partial obstruction: the person can still speak, shout, cough vigorously and breathe, even if an unusual noise may be heard. Breathing remains effective;
• Total obstruction: The situation is then much more serious. The victim can no longer speak, shout, cough, or make a sound. They generally keep their mouth open, become agitated, turn blue quickly, and may lose consciousness. Breathing is no longer effective, or even impossible.

Better safe than sorry…

Prevention remains the best weapon against the risk of suffocation. It therefore appears essential to:

• keep small objects and hazardous foods out of reach of children under 3 years old;
• carefully supervise children during meals;
• be careful of the pits present in certain fruits…

If, despite all your precautions, choking occurs, the appropriate response depends on the severity of the obstruction.

In case of partial obstruction:

• place the victim in the position where they feel most comfortable (most often, sitting);
• encourage her to cough to help her expel the foreign body;
• seek medical advice.

A complete obstruction requires immediate action. Start by delivering a maximum of five slaps between the victim's shoulder blades. This is to encourage the victim to expel the foreign object. This slapping technique will depend on the person's age:

For an adult, teenager, or older child : Stand beside and slightly behind them. Support their chest with one hand, lean them forward, and give up to five firm slaps on the back;

For a young child : sit down and tip them onto your thigh, face down, before "slapping";

For an infant : Place the baby straddling your forearm, face down. Support the baby's head with your fingers without pressing on the throat, and tilt the baby so that the head is lower than the chest.

Heimlich…

If this fails, you will need to immediately perform the second maneuver called the "Heimlich maneuver," which consists of abdominal compression:

• stand behind the victim and place your arms around the victim's upper abdomen;
• lean the victim forward;
• place one of your closed fists between the navel and the lower end of the sternum;
• Hold your fist in place with your other hand. Push your fist firmly toward you and upwards. Repeat this action up to five times.

And if the problem is still not resolved, alternate between slaps and compressions .

And after?

Once the foreign body has been expelled, comfort the victim and always seek medical advice. However, if the maneuvers have not worked and the victim loses consciousness, accompany them to the ground, call emergency services (18 or 112) and begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation (cardiac massage).

When it comes to choking, every second counts. Knowing these simple steps can make all the difference. This is an opportunity to remind everyone that the French Red Cross regularly provides training in essential first aid.

Sources: https://www.croix-rouge.fr/ - www.pompiers.fr