Choking is a medical emergency where in a foreign body obstructs the air passage to lungs. It is often life threatening caused due to inhalation or ingestion of food or another object .This obstruction can be partial or complete.Partial obstruction allows some air passage to lungs and compete obstruction prevents air passage to lung. It prevents normal breathing and thus body is deprived of oxygen delivery leading to asphyxia. It can be fatal.

SYMPTOMS

• Difficulty in breathing ,gasping and wheezing
• Difficulty to speak.
• Clutching, and grabbing of throat or mouth.
• Person’s face turns blue and may become unconscious.

CAUSES

It occurs when a foreign body blocks the air passage to lungs. The object may block either the upper or lower air passages. The most common causes of choking are food and toys. Nuts, seeds, peanut butter are the causes of choking in children.Toy and toy parts also have high potential to completely block the airway in children.

TREATMENT

• Alternate back blows and abdominal trust.

a)Five back blows: Stand behind the person choking /kneel down behind a hoking child.Bend the person so that his upper body is parallel to the ground and blow between the shoulder blades using the heel of your hand. Repeat it five times.

b)Wrap the person in your arms at his waist. Position one fist above the person’s navel and hold the fist in the other hand and deliver a hard and quick upward thrust to the abdomen.continue doing this five times.

In case of infants less than one year.

1. Hold the infant face down in a seated position.
2. Support his head and neck with your hand so that the head is lower than the trunk.
3. Blow the infant gently between the shoulder bones using the heels of your arm five times.
4. If the infant is still not breathing,turn him face up n your fore arm resting on your thigh with the head lower than the trunk.
5. Give five chest compressions at the center of breast bone using two fingers.Press down to a depth of 1.5 inches and let the chest rise again between each compressions.