- Choking is a medical emergency. Knowing what to do when someone is choking could save their life.
- A person chokes when the flow of air to their lungs gets blocked, causing breathing difficulties.
- Children and adults with a disability are at greater risk of choking.
- Keep small objects out of the reach of babies and children to help prevent choking accidents.
What to do on emergency:
- Try to keep the person calm. Ask them to cough to try to remove the object.
- If coughing doesn’t work, call triple zero (000) for an ambulance.
- Bend the person forward and give them up to 5 sharp blows on the back between the shoulder blades with the heel of one hand.
After each blow, check if the blockage has been cleared. - If the blockage still hasn’t cleared after 5 blows, place one hand in the middle of the person’s back for support. Place the heel of the other hand on the lower half of the breastbone (in the central part of the chest). Press hard into the chest with a quick upward thrust, as if you’re trying to lift the person up.
After each thrust, check if the blockage has been cleared. - If the blockage has not cleared after 5 thrusts, continue alternating 5 back blows with 5 chest thrusts until medical help arrives.
- If the patient becomes blue, limp or unconscious, start CPR immediately.