Follow these steps to help a choking adult with a severe airway block when the victim cannot breathe, talk, make a sound, or holding their neck with one or both hands.
If you think someone is choking, ask, “Are you choking?” If the person nods yes, tell him you are going to help.
Stand firmly or kneel behind the person. Wrap your arms around the person’s waist so that your fists are in front.
Make a fist with one hand, placing the thumb side of your fist slightly above the belly button and well below the breastbone.
Grasp the fist with your other hand and give quick upward thrusts into the abdomen until the object is forced out, and he can breathe, cough, speak, or until he becomes unresponsive.
If the person becomes unresponsive, immediately call 999 or your local emergency number and start CPR.
Any person who has received abdominal thrusts should seek a doctor’s advice using our telehealth or visiting our Emergency Department.
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