Christmas celebrations increase the incidence of choking, one of the most frequent accidents – in both adults and children – and if not acted upon quickly, it can lead to complications. For this reason, the Canary Emergency Service (SUC), attached to the public company Gestión de Servicios para la Salud y Seguridad en Canarias and dependent on the Ministry of Health of the Government of the Canary Islands, takes advantage of these holidays to remind the public how to act to prevent such an episode from becoming a life-threatening emergency.
When someone chokes, they usually have difficulty breathing, are unable to speak, and need to communicate through gestures, so we have to act quickly to prevent the situation from worsening
Coughing forcefully: neither water nor food
Doctors and nurses from the SUC insist on the need to remain calm and encourage the affected person to cough forcefully to try to expel the piece of food or foreign object that is obstructing the airway. They also remind that water or food should not be offered, as both actions can worsen the situation.
If after several attempts to cough, the affected person cannot regain their breath, the person next to them should call emergency services, by dialing 112, where a health coordinator from the SUC will instruct them on how to proceed while the ambulance travels to the emergency location.
Pats on the back
If the choking persists, the second step will be to give back blows. The person providing first aid should position themselves to the side and slightly behind the affected person, support their chest with one hand, and lean them forward. Then, they should deliver five blows to the back, between the shoulder blades, using the heel of their hand, checking after each blow to see if the foreign object has been expelled, so as not to continue the maneuver unnecessarily.
The Heimlich Maneuver
If the blows are not effective and the situation remains unresolved, the **Heimlich maneuver** will be put into practice. To perform it, the person providing assistance must position themselves behind the affected person and hug them, placing the fist of one hand with the thumb outward at the midpoint between the navel and the stomach pit, placing the other hand on top. They should then lean the affected person forward and perform five inward and upward thrusts, with enough force to lift them off the ground – unless it is a child, who should not be lifted – until the obstruction is cleared.
This maneuver allows the **diaphragm to be lifted and forces air out of the lungs**, creating an artificial cough that will move air through the trachea and push out the object or food that caused the obstruction.
Five back blows and five abdominal thrusts
If after performing these two maneuvers, back blows and the Heimlich maneuver, the obstruction is not cleared, you should alternate five back blows and five abdominal compressions until the airway is cleared or until professional help arrives.
The SUC emphasizes that rapid and decisive intervention is fundamental to avoid complications in the affected person's condition, which could compromise their life, such as cardiorespiratory arrest
