Child & Infant Choking Flashcards
PPE
Don disposable gloves, eyewear
and mask as appropriate.
Indications
Symptoms that suggest choking:
coughing, throat clutching,
stridor, breathing/speaking
difficulty, cyanosis.
Consider history of child eating
or playing with small toys.
Assess response level
If patient is unconscious,
commence chest compressions
and proceed immediately to
foreign body airway obstruction
(FBAO) removal and suctioning.
If patient is conscious and able
to cough, encourage coughing.
If patient is conscious and
unable to cough, manage as
severe FBAO.
Apply back blows (slaps)
Position patient standing or
sitting, leaning forwards. Brace
patient using one arm wrapped
around their chest or leaning
against chair/table.
For small children and infants,
position child prone, head down
across knee/lap. Support the
infant’s head.
Strike sharply inwards and
upwards with heel of hand
between scapulae. Repeat up to
five blows until FBAO clears.
Reassess
Check after each manoeuvre to
see if the obstruction is
removed.
Abdominal Thrusts (Children)
Stand or kneel behind the
patient and place your arms to
encircle their torso.
Clench your fist and place it
between the umbilicus and the
sternum. Grasp this hand
with the other hand and pull
sharply inwards and upwards.
Repeat up to five thrusts until
FBAO clears.
Chest Thrusts (Infants under 1 year old)
place the infant on the arm along the back and encircling the
occiput with the hand. Rest this
arm against a solid surface or
the paramedic’s thigh. Identify the landmark for chest
compression
Deliver 5 chest thrusts (slower
rate and sharper movements
than chest compressions).
Reassess
Check after each manoeuvre to
see if the obstruction is
removed.
Continued therapy
Continue alternating five back
blows and five abdominal/chest
thrusts while patient is conscious.
If FBAO clears, treat
accordingly. Transport to
emergency facility.
Report
Accurately document/hand
over any relevant information
regarding the clinical skill.
