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Choking; what to do - International Travel Insurance

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 what to do in case someone is choking or otherwise having trouble breathing.

Rescue Breathing
The mouth-to-mouth technique is the probably the best and most widely known method for rescue breathing. First check for breathing, as doing rescue breathing or CPR on someone who doesn’t need them will do more harm than good. Tilt the head back to open up the airway and visually check for any possible obstructions. With one hand you should gently keep the head tilted back while also being able to pinch the nose shut for rescue breathing, while your other hand should be under the patients chin, gently lifting up. Place your mouth over the patients’ and give two slow full breaths.

For those whoe think they may be in a position where they may need to provide rescue breathing, it is highly recommended to take a CPR course from accredited professionals.

Choking
When the airway is partially or totally obstructed by a foreign object, such as when food goes down the windpipe rather than the food passage, its important to clear the blocked air passage quickly so the person choking can get continue to breathe.

If a person is choking they may instinctively raise their hands to their throat.

What to Do?
If the person is conscious:

• First ask "Are you choking?" If they are choking they will be unable to cough, breathe or reply.
• If the patient is unable to speak, cough or breathe, give upward abdominal thrusts.
• To give upward abdominal thrusts, stand behind the patient and wrap your arms around the patient’s torso. Grasp one fist with your other hand and place thumb side of your fist in the center of the torso, just below the ribcage. Press thumb side of your fist inwards and upwards into the abdomen with 4 quick thrusts.
• For possibly pregnant or over-weigh patients, do not use abdominal thrust in these cases and instead use chest thrusts, which will mean you are pressing on the breastbone instead of the abdomen.
• Chest thrusts are done from the same position as abdominal thrusts, the only difference being that your first will push into the breastbone.
• Repeat the appropriate method as necessary, keep being persistent.
• Have someone call for medical assistance if the obstruction is not dislodged quickly.
• If the person choking has fallen unconscious:
  • Call for help, or get someone nearby to call for emergency medical assistance.
  • Check the person to see if their airway is open and check for the obstruction.
  • If possible use your finger to probe the mouth to remove the dislodged foreign body.
  • If the obstruction is lodged deeper in the airway, commence with abdominal thrusts.
  • If unsuccessful repeat these sequences and continue treatment until assistance arrives.
• If the person choking is a child:
  • If a child between the ages of 1-8 years is choking, use the same procedures as for an adult.
  • If an infant up to 1 year old is choking, turn the infant face down with its head below its chest, supporting it with your forearm while supporting its head with your palm against your leg.
  • Without covering the infant’s mouth or turning its neck, deliver five back blows between the shoulders.
  • If that does not remove the obstruction, turn the infant over and use two to three fingers to perform chest thrusts on the infant’s breastbone.
  • Continue alternating between back and chest thrusts until obstruction is removed or until the infant faints.
  • Only use fingers to remove the obstruction if the obstruction becomes visible, do not fish for the obstruction if you can not see it.
  • If the baby faints, stop back and chest thrusts and commence CPR and continue until help arrives.

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 works with some of the world’s best international health insurance and international travel 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 and international travel insurance plans; click for free advice and quotes.

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