Conscious Adult Choking

Summary

The video script instructs on the critical skill of conscious adult choking intervention. It details the steps to identify a choking individual, obtain consent, and perform abdominal thrusts to dislodge the obstruction. The script emphasizes the importance of checking for responsiveness and when to call 911. It also addresses special considerations for pregnant women, advising to thrust under the breastbone to avoid the baby and ensuring both mother and child's safety.

Takeaways

• 🆘 Recognize the signs of choking: inability to cough, breathe, or speak.
• 🚨 Prioritize calling emergency services if easily accessible, or wait until the person is unresponsive.
• 🤝 Always seek permission from the conscious choking victim before attempting to help.
• 🔑 Use the abdominal thrust technique, placing the fist above the navel and below the xiphoid process.
• 👆 Perform inward and upward thrusts with the heel of your hand until the object is expelled or the person becomes unresponsive.
• 👀 Keep your elbows out to avoid causing injury to the victim's ribs.
• 🗣️ Encourage the person to sit down if they feel comfortable after the object is removed.
• 📞 Call 911 or activate emergency services if the person becomes unresponsive or if the object isn't expelled.
• 🤰 Adjust the abdominal thrust technique for pregnant women by thrusting under the breast and onto the sternum.
• 🛑 If the object isn't expelled and the person becomes unconscious, activate emergency services and proceed with unconscious choking procedures.

Q & A

What is the first sign that someone is choking as described in the script?

The first sign of choking is when a person cannot cough, breathe, or speak, indicating a full obstruction.

Why is it important to get permission from a choking person before helping them?

It is important to get permission to help a choking person to ensure they are conscious and can consent to the assistance, which is a standard practice in providing first aid.

What is the landmark used to locate the correct spot for performing abdominal thrusts on a choking person?

The belly button is used as a landmark to locate the correct spot for performing abdominal thrusts, with the fist placed just above it on the abdomen.

Why is it crucial to avoid the xiphoid process when performing abdominal thrusts?

The xiphoid process should be avoided during abdominal thrusts to prevent injury to the internal organs and to effectively target the diaphragmatic region, which helps in dislodging the obstruction.

What is the goal of performing inward and upward thrusts during abdominal compressions?

The goal of performing inward and upward thrusts is to bring the diaphragm up and in, compressing the lower lobes of the lungs to force air up the trachea and dislodge the choking object.

What should you do if the object does not come out after performing abdominal thrusts?

If the object does not come out after performing abdominal thrusts, you should continue the thrusts until the person becomes unresponsive, at which point you would call 911 or activate emergency services.

Why is it recommended to call 911 even if the object is dislodged and the person starts breathing?

Calling 911 is recommended even after successful dislodgement to ensure the person is checked by medical professionals for any potential internal injuries or complications from the choking incident.

What is the special consideration for performing abdominal thrusts on a pregnant woman?

For a pregnant woman, the abdominal thrusts are modified by avoiding the abdominal area and performing inward thrusts under the breast, on the sternum, to prevent injury to the baby.

What should you do if a pregnant woman becomes unresponsive after you've attempted abdominal thrusts?

If a pregnant woman becomes unresponsive, you should activate 911 and then proceed with the unconscious choking victim compressions as learned in other segments of first aid training.

Why is it important to have EMS professionals check a person after a choking incident, even if they seem fine?

EMS professionals should check a person after a choking incident to assess for any partial obstruction, lung sounds, and internal bleeding from the abdominal thrust, ensuring there are no hidden complications.

Outlines

00:00

🆘 Conscious Adult Choking Rescue

This paragraph discusses the critical skill of performing a conscious adult choking rescue. It outlines a scenario where an individual is choking while eating at a table, unable to cough, breathe, or speak, indicating a full obstruction. The speaker emphasizes the importance of obtaining consent before assisting and describes the Heimlich maneuver technique, which involves locating the diaphragmatic region just above the belly button and performing inward and upward thrusts until the obstruction is cleared or the person becomes unresponsive. The paragraph also advises on when to call emergency services, the importance of EMS follow-up even if the object is dislodged, and the need for a check-up to ensure there's no internal bleeding. Special considerations for pregnant women are highlighted, suggesting an alternative rescue method that avoids the abdominal area to prevent harming the baby.

Keywords

💡Conscious Adult Choking

Conscious adult choking refers to a situation where an adult is able to recognize and respond to the fact that they are choking. In the video, this is the initial state of the choking person, who can still communicate their distress. The script emphasizes the importance of asking for permission before attempting any rescue maneuvers, highlighting the ethical consideration in first aid.

💡Full Obstruction

A full obstruction occurs when an object completely blocks the airway, preventing the person from breathing, coughing, or speaking. The script describes this as a critical condition that requires immediate assistance, setting the stage for the rescue techniques to be discussed.

💡Emergency Response Team

The emergency response team refers to professionals trained to handle medical emergencies. The script suggests that if it's easy to activate such a team or call 911, it should be done. However, if not, the video provides guidance on how to proceed with first aid until professional help arrives.

💡Belly Button

In the context of the video, the belly button is used as a physical landmark for performing the abdominal thrust, a technique to help dislodge an object causing an airway obstruction. The script instructs to place the fist just above the belly button to ensure the thrust is in the correct location.

💡Xiphoid Process

The xiphoid process is a small, cartilaginous extension at the base of the sternum. The script advises to stay below this structure during the abdominal thrust to avoid injury, indicating the importance of knowing human anatomy for effective first aid.

💡Diaphragmatic Region

The diaphragmatic region is the area of the body where the diaphragm, a muscle that plays a crucial role in breathing, is located. The script explains that the goal of the abdominal thrust is to compress this area to force air upwards and dislodge the choking object.

💡Inward and Upward Thrust

An inward and upward thrust is the forceful motion used during the abdominal thrust technique to help expel a foreign object from the airway. The script describes this action as essential for creating enough pressure to clear the obstruction.

💡Unresponsive

In the script, 'unresponsive' describes a state where the choking person has lost consciousness due to lack of oxygen. This is a critical point that triggers the need to call 911 or activate emergency services and transition to a different set of first aid techniques.

💡EMS

EMS stands for Emergency Medical Services, which includes ambulance services and other medical assistance provided during emergencies. The script suggests that even after successfully dislodging the object, it's a good idea to have EMS on the way to ensure a thorough check for any complications.

💡Pregnant Woman

The script addresses the special considerations needed when performing first aid on a pregnant woman who is choking. It emphasizes the need to avoid the abdominal area where the baby is located and instead perform chest thrusts, illustrating the importance of adapting techniques to the individual's condition.

💡Unconscious Choking Victim

An unconscious choking victim refers to a person who has lost consciousness due to choking. The script outlines a different set of procedures to be followed in this situation, highlighting the progression of care based on the victim's responsiveness.

Highlights

Conscious adult choking is a highly effective and important skill to learn.

Signs of choking include an inability to cough, breathe, or speak.

In case of full obstruction, seek help or call 911 if easily accessible.

Wait for the patient to become unresponsive before calling 911 if immediate help is not available.

Always ask for the patient's permission before attempting to help.

Elevate the patient's elbows to prepare for the abdominal thrust.

Locate the belly button and position the fist just above it for the Heimlich maneuver.

Avoid the xiphoid process to prevent injury during the abdominal thrust.

Perform inward and upward thrusts to dislodge the obstruction.

Continue thrusts until the object is expelled or the person becomes unresponsive.

Encourage the patient to sit down if they feel comfortable after the object is removed.

Call 911 or activate emergency services if the person becomes unresponsive.

EMS should be called even if the object is removed to ensure no internal injuries.

EMS will check for partial obstruction and internal bleeding post-incident.

Encourage the individual to see a healthcare provider for a check-up if EMS is not available.

Unconscious choking requires a different approach, discussed in a separate segment.

Special considerations are necessary for pregnant women to avoid harming the baby.

For pregnant women, perform chest thrusts under the breastbone instead of abdominal thrusts.

Continue chest thrusts until the obstruction is removed or the person becomes unresponsive.

If unconscious, activate 911 and proceed with unconscious choking victim compressions.

Transcripts

Now let's cover the highly effect and very important skill called conscious adult choking.

Now in this scenario we have someone who is eating at a table, they begin to choke, we

know they were choking because they could not cough, they could not breathe, they could

not speak. This is a full obstruction if and it need's help if it's gonna come out in most

cases. If it's easy to activate the emergency response team or call 911, great, but if not,

we can wait until the patient goes unresponsive before we actually take the time to call 911

or activate a code. But in this case we're gonna come up to the person, we're gonna look

them in the eyes, "Are you choking"? They nod "Yes". "I know how to help you. May I

help you". They give me permission to help them. They're still conscious and so we wanna

get that permission from the patient if at all possible. Now I'm gonna elevate their

elbows, I'm gonna find the belly button. The belly button is my landmark so that I can

tuck my thumb in and put the fist just above the belly button on their abdomen. I wanna

stay below the xiphoid process which is approximately right here, I wanna stay just above the belly

button because this is where i find the diaphragmatic region. This is exactly what I want so that

I can bring that diaphragm up and in while I compress the lower lobes of the lung, shoot

the air up the trachea, popping that object out, and it's effective the majority of the

time. So I'm gonna take that hand, keep my elbows out so I'm not on their ribs anymore

than I have to be, and I'm gonna start with my inward and upward thrust. And I'm gonna

do these thrust, until either the object comes out or the person goes unresponsive. In this

case the object did come out. He began breathing, coughing, clearing his own airways. I simply

re-encourage him that he's doing fine. If he feels like sitting down you can have him

sit down. And if we had not already called 911, now would be the time to call 911 or

call a code "if" they go unresponsive. If we've already called 911 keep 'em coming,

it's fine. Even though the object already came out, it's always a good idea to have

EMS stay on the way, so that if this person opts not to go in, they can be checked out

by the EMS professionals. They're gonna check airway, they're gonna check some lung sounds

to make sure there's no partial obstruction, and they're probably do a quick assessment

to make sure there is no internal bleeding from the abdominal thrust. So if the individual

does not opt to have that done to him, or the EMS providers do not come, I always like

to encourage them to go to their own practitioner and just be looked over and made sure that

everything is okay. Keep in mind, that if this person were not to have this successful

removal of the obstruction, they would probably go unresponsive in a short amount of time.

And it's then that we would assist them to the ground carefully and begin the skill of

unconscious adult choking. Now we're gonna talk about special considerations as it relates

to a pregnant woman. You know when we're doing this lifesaving skill of trying to remove

the obstruction from the airway, and the person is pregnant, we need to understand that we're

dealing with two patients, save mom, save baby. So it's important that we're aggressive

in our treatment, but there's a special way to do it so that we don't injure the baby

in the process. Let's take a look at how we do that right now. When we have the, the person

in front of us, we know the baby is here in the normal location where we would do abdominal

thrust. So we're gonna avoid the area altogether by forming the fist and going under the breast

with that fist on the sternum. We're then gonna take that opposite hand, go under the

breast and onto that fist that's on the sternum. We're now gonna do inward thrusts, inward

deep thrusts. And we're gonna continue to do those compressions until the object comes

out and the person begins to breathe normally again. If they doesn't come out, they're gonna

go unconscious. When they go unconscious, we're gonna activate 911, and then we're gonna

start doing our unconscious choking victim compressions as we learned in the other segment.