Choking – Hit the person on the back or not?

You are out to dinner with some friends having a great time, chatting away, laughing and all of sudden one of your friends is choking on their food! They are coughing, still breathing but panicking!  You give your friend a really hard hit on the back thinking that will help them but…….Oh No!  They can now no longer cough or breathe!

Hitting a person hard on the back while they are trying to cough, can still breathe and talk can actually make it worse if they are choking.  The force of the hit can cause the blockage to go further down their airway and completely block it if it is only partially blocked. Something that a lot of people don’t realise and think it is the right action to do.

There are two types of Choking (Airway Obstruction):

1. Partial Airway Obstruction: A partial obstruction is when a foreign object (most likely food) has partially cut off the airway. Signs include: coughing, difficulty in breathing or noisy breathing, talking (crying in babies).
   1. First Aid for a Partial Obstruction is: Encourage the person to cough out the obstruction whilst leaning forward. If the cough becomes ineffective or the person is experiencing worsening breathing difficulty,  then call the ambulance.
2. Full Airway Obstruction: A full airway obstruction is when the foreign object has completely cut off the airway. Signs include: unable to cough, breathe or talk, turning blue in the lips, panicking.
   1. First Aid for a Full Obstruction is: Lean the casualty forward and administer 5 back slaps between the shoulder blades then administer 5 chest thrusts (pushing on their chest). Alternate these actions while the person is still conscious or able to cough the object out. Call the ambulance as soon as possible, and be prepared to follow the steps of DRSABCD when the person becomes unconscious.

Come and learn more about choking for adults, children and infants at our first aid courses and practice these actions so that you are well prepared for this type of emergency. Book yourself in now!Choking Infants Choking Child