Choking - unconscious adult or child over 1 year
Alternate Names : Heimlich maneuver - unconscious adult or child over 1 year
Definition
Choking is when someone cannot breathe because food, a toy, or other object is blocking the throat or windpipe (airway).
Overview & Considerations
A choking person's airway may be completely or partially blocked so that not enough oxygen reaches the lungs. A complete blockage is a medical emergency. A partial blockage can quickly become life threatening if the person cannot properly breathe. Without oxygen, permanent brain damage can occur in as little as 4 - 6 minutes. Rapid first aid for choking can save a life.
Occasionally an object will enter the lung. While the person may appear to improve and breathe normally, in a few days symptoms may develop, such as: If this happens, get medical help right away.
Causes
- Eating too fast, failing to chew food well enough, or eating with poorly fitting dentures
- Drinking alcohol (even a small amount of alcohol affects awareness)
- Being unconscious (a person may breathe in vomited material)
- Breathing in or swallowing small objects (young children)
- Having trauma to the head and face (swelling, bleeding, or deformity can cause choking)
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