Conscious Child Choking

Evaluating the patient

How could you tell a child is choking?

1. The patient will not be able to respond to you verbally.

2. The patient will only be able to gag; they will not be able to cough

3. The patient grasps around their throat.

   1. This is a universal sign for choking.

Should a child respond to you verbally, they may have choked on something, but it is only a partial obstruction. Air is still able to move in an out of the body.

Steps

1. Call for emergency services.

2. Ask the child if they are choking, then if you have permission to help them.

3. Get down to the level of the child.

   1. This is to prevent unneeded strain on the child’s ribcage. Too much strain will break the ribs, leading to further injury.

4. Find the belly button and form a fist with the thumb tucked in, and place this fist just above the belly button.

5. Brace the fist with your other hand. Moving your elbows out of the way, thrust inward and upwards.

6. Continue doing this until:

   1. The object is dislodged and the child can breathe
   2. The child goes unconscious

7. In either case, if you have not called emergency services, now would be a good time to do so.