For mild choking on water, encourage the victim to cough. If the airway is only partly blocked, he will usually be able to speak, cry, cough, or breathe. In addition, they’ll usually clear the blockage themselves. If they cannot give a cough or seem unable to breathe, call 911 or the emergency medical services team immediately. A healthcare professional may need to suction the airway to help them breathe again.
Avoid putting your fingers in the choking victim’s mouth to help them as they may bite you accidentally. Start five quick, forceful blows (back blows) if coughing doesn’t work.
How To Do Back Blows?
To perform a back blow on an adult or child over one year old who is choking, follow these steps:
1. Stand behind the choking victim and slightly to one side.
2. Support their chest with one hand. Then lean them forward so the blockage in the airway will come out of their mouth rather than moving further down.
2. Give up to 5 sharp blows between their shoulder blades with the heel of your hand.
3. Check if the blockage has cleared. If not yet cleared, give up to 5 abdominal thrusts.
Severe Choking on Water:
For severe choking, the person won’t be able to speak, cry, cough, or breathe. Without proper medical assistance, they’ll eventually become unconscious. So before they become unconscious, it’s essential to give back blows and chest thrusts to the choking victim.
Abdominal or chest thrusts are the best technique for someone who is not a pregnant woman or an infant since there may be a higher risk of injury in these groups. Here’s a simple step on how to carry out an abdominal thrust:
1. Stand behind the victim who’s choking.
2. Put your arms around the victim’s waist and bend them forward.
3. Clench your one fist and place it right above the belly button.
4. Put your other hand on top and pull sharply inwards and upward thrusts.
5. Repeat the quick thrusts up to 5 times.
If the choking victim’s airway is still blocked after trying back blows and abdominal thrusts, call 911 and tell the operators the situation of the choking person. Then continue with the cycles of 5 back blows and five abdominal thrusts until help arrives.
If the choking victim loses consciousness and isn’t breathing, you should begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) with chest compressions and rescue breathing. Use your body weight to deliver 30 chest compressions, two inches deep, at a rate of 100 compressions per minute.
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