Choking is a condition in which a foreign body instead of the esophagus enters the larynx or trachea. With complete obstruction of the airways, apnea, cardiac arrest and, if the injured person is not helped, to death occur. Quick help in this situation is saving lives.

It is worth remembering that due to various circumstances, professional medical assistance can reach the injured with a long delay. This waiting time for it cannot be limited to the passive attitude of witnesses of events, including employees of the enterprise. For the victim, every minute counts.

If the injured person is able to perform limited inhalations and exhalations, he should be strongly hit on the back between the shoulder blades (up to 5 times).

At the moment when such action does not work, 5 epigastric compressions should be used. Here’s how:

• stand behind the victim,
• embrace it with both hands by the abdomen, in the area between the navel and the xiphoid process,
• with a sudden, strong movement, press the victim several times to each other to cause a sharp compression of the diaphragm,
• during the hug, additionally place the rolled fists in the subcardiac hole of the victim.

The described procedure results in a violent, short-term, passive exhalation, during which a foreign body can be squeezed out of the respiratory tract.

However, if the victim loses consciousness, place him safely on a hard surface and start pressing the chest, and then blowing air in a ratio of 30 to 2.

Source: https://www.seka.pl/jak-udzielic-pierwszej-pomocy-przy-zadlawieniu/

Projekt otrzymał dofinansowanie z Norwegii poprzez Fundusze Norweskie 2014-2021, w ramach programu „Dialog społeczny – godna praca”.