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First Aid advice for Choking

International health insurance plans give you complete coverage for any medical situation. Emergency services will be dispatched to holders of international health insurance plans, but sometimes the patient needs treatment immediately or it may be too late for them.

This page gives you guidelines on how to treat patients who are choking:

Breathing
The best way to provide rescue breathing is by using the mouth-to-mouth technique. Take your hand that is on the person's forehead and turn it so that you can pinch the nose shut, while keeping the heel of the hand in place to maintain a head tilt. Your other hand should remain under the patients chin, lifting up. Immediately give two slow full breaths, using the mouth-to-mouth method.

Now you need to check the person's circulation. To do this you will have to find a "Pulse" and the best place to find a pulse is at one of the carotid arteries, both of which are located in the neck.

Place the tips of your fingers in the centre of the neck, at the Adam's Apple. Then slowly, draw your fingers towards yourself until you feel a small hollow in the neck. This is where you'll find one of the carotid arteries; try it on yourself, (feel the pulse). If you find a pulse, continue rescue breathing.

If you don't find a pulse, start Chest Compression's.

Choking
Choking occurs when the airway is partially or totally blocked by a swallowed object, i.e. when something goes down the windpipe rather than the food passage, the aim of the treatment is to clear the blocked passage.

The choking patient will often clasp their neck in an instinctive act

Act Quickly - Speed is Essential
If the patient is conscious:

• Ask "Are you choking?" If the patient can speak, cough or breath, do not interfere since they are not choking.
• If the patient cannot speak, cough or breathe, give upward abdominal thrusts.
• To do this, stand behind the patient and wrap your arms around the waist. Grasp one fist with your other hand and place thumb side of your fist in the mid-lane between waist and ribcage. Press fist into abdomen with 4 quick upward and inward thrusts.
• Do not use abdominal thrust when dealing with a pregnant woman or over-weight patient. In these cases use chest thrusts - press on breastbone as in CPR.
• Stand behind patient and place your arms under her armpits to encircle body.
• Grasp one fist with the other hand, and place thumb side on the middle of the breastbone. Press with quick backward thrusts.
• Repeat above sequence. Be Persistent.
• Send for medical aid, call an ambulance and continue treatment until help arrives.
• If the patient is unconscious:
  • "CALL FOR HELP"
  • Get someone to call for an Ambulance
  • Dial your local emergency telephone number.
  • Open Airway and begin Resuscitation procedures.
  • If unsuccessful deliver five abdominal thrust.
  • Use finger probe in mouth to remove the dislodged foreign body.
  • If unsuccessful repeat these sequences. Be persistent.
  • Continue treatment until help arrives.
• If a child (1-8 years) is choking, proceed as for adult, depending on whether the patient is conscious or unconscious.
• If an infant (up to 1 year) is choking, turn the infant face downwards supporting the body along your arm with hand supporting head and neck.
• Ensure airway is open.
• Deliver five back blows between the shoulders, then turn over and give five chest thrusts.
• Remove object if visible.
• Do not perform blind finger sweeps in infants and children. When obstruction is removed and infant is still not breathing and has no pulse start CPR.
• Call for help immediately.

If you are in any doubt or have any concerns about any injury or illness always seek professional medical advice as soon as possible. International health insurance plans often give the policyholder a 24 hour emergency assistance telephone number, information can also be obtained from this source.

Global Health Insurance is an independent broker of international health insurance plans. We work with all the major insurance companies and can give you independent advice or a range of free quotes for international health insurance plans; click for free advice and quotes.

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