Conscious Choking

When a victim is conscious and indicates that they cannot breathe, use the following procedures to attempt to clear their airway:

• Give the victim 5 back blows.
  • Bend the victim forward at the waist and, with the heel of one hand, deliver 5 blows to their back between the shoulder blades.
• Give the victim 5 abdominal thrusts.
  • Place a fist with the thumb side against the middle of the person's abdomen just above the navel.
  • Cover your fist with your other hand and give 5 quick, upward abdominal thrusts.
• Continue giving care to the victim.
  • Rotate through sets of 5 back blows and 5 abdominal thrusts until the object is dislodged, the person can cough forcefully or breathe, or the victim becomes unconscious.

If the victim falls unconscious while choking, continue care by following CPR procedures.

To learn more about Workplace First Aid visit our Workplace First Aid Online Training web page.