What to do if a person choked and suffocates: first aid, medical advice

From childhood, we hear: "Do not talk with your mouth full," "While I eat, I am deaf and mute," "We eat in silence!" Phrases, which, probably, have filled everyone’s edge and do not produce the desired effect. But these are important rules that once will help us and others not to die from ridiculous, but fatal negligence. Talking, laughing with a mouth full of food, you not only violate etiquette, deprive yourself of a pleasant relishing of food, but also risk your life! Even if you eat in complete silence, alas, it cannot be said that by doing this you absolutely protect yourself from danger. It is important for everyone to know what to do if a person chokes and suffocates.

Why is this happening?

To many it seems unbelievable and even something ridiculous to die from the fact that choked on a bone, a piece of food. But in vain. Stubborn statistics say that this is precisely the cause of death of about 3.8 thousand people annually!

How does this happen? To the banal is simple - the unfortunate man choked on food, but those around him could not, did not have time to help him in time. Therefore, everyone needs to know what to do if a person chokes and suffocates.

The risk factors are as follows:

• The cause of death of adults is most often a too large piece of meat. The child, due to anatomical features, can choke on any portion of food.
• Swallowing a too large and not properly chewed piece of food. Again from childhood we hear at the table: "Chew carefully, slowly!"
• Alcohol consumption. Under the influence of alcoholic beverages during feasts, a person partially loses control over his actions and behavior, which is the reason for the tragedy.
• Dentures in the elderly.
• Conversations, laughter with a stuffed mouth.
• Children's games while eating.

What causes death?

Why does a person choke and cannot breathe? Foreign body gets "not in the throat." In other words, not into the esophagus, but into the respiratory tract. A piece of food blocks them; a person cannot breathe. Without assistance, he dies from a lack of oxygen.

What to do if a person chokes and suffocates? It is not enough to remember only the basic skills of first aid. It is important to know how to behave with the victim, because often he simply does not allow himself to help. Being in a critical situation, the unfortunate man rushes around, throws up his hands, becomes uncontrollable, or even does not allow people to approach him. First of all, it is important to reassure him, and in case of failure, to restrain him by force, so as not to interfere with saving his own life.

What could be choking?

What to do if a person chokes and suffocates? Within the framework of the topic, it is important to determine the type of suffocation - the method of assistance depends on this. There are only two varieties.

Complete choking. It is typical for cases when the unfortunate choked on a rather big piece of food. A foreign body is much larger than the entrance to the trachea (the space that is limited to the vocal cords). Stuck here, food completely blocks the airways. Fresh air cannot get into the lungs, nor can exhaust air come out.

In this case, the victim cannot inhale / exhale, say something, even cough to push out a foreign object on his own. Help in this situation is immediate! Even the slightest confusion threatens the victim with death.

Partial choking. Here, a piece of food will narrow the airways, but not completely block them. This usually occurs in the trachea at the level of the vocal cords. If the food particle is small, it falls into the respiratory tract lower along the trachea, narrowing its lumen in this continuation.

Here, the victim can breathe a little, speak, he actively coughs, trying to help himself. But due to the narrowed airway, the intake of oxygen in the body is insufficient. And due to severe stress, the situation becomes life threatening, as in the first case. In addition, if a foreign body in the process of providing assistance, under the force of a cough, misplaces, a situation of already complete suffocation may occur.

Signs of Partial Choking

What to do if a person choked and suffocates, on the verge of death? You need to calm down yourself - this is very important! Otherwise, you only harm your actions.

First of all, determine partial asphyxiation or complete. The first is seen by a few simple signs:

• Conscious.
• He may be confused, in small portions, but breathe.
• A choked man coughs.
• Can say something, make sounds.

Partial Choking Rescue

What to do when a person chokes and suffocates in this case? It seems strange, but doctors recommend sticking to the “Help yourself” tactics.

Here's what others need to do in this situation:

• Call an ambulance as soon as possible!
• Do not leave the injured one, help him with short, practical advice, do not scream, do not scare or scare him!
• Calm a choking person, keep him from hysteria, inappropriate actions. Lock if his behavior requires it.
• Only he will help himself - an active cough. This will push a small object out of the airways.
• Knock, clap, hit on the back, shoulder blades, as many consider traditional in this case, should not be! By your actions you will only interfere with coughing up a foreign body.
• If you know how to receive Heimlich (we will definitely analyze this method of first aid first), do not try to do it! The method is only suitable for a picture of complete suffocation. Partially, in this way, you will remove residual air from the victim’s lungs, which may worsen his condition.

The prolonged partial asphyxiation is dangerous no less complete, since it also leads to oxygen starvation of the body.

Signs of complete suffocation

What to do if a person is on the verge of choking and suffocating? Most likely, before you is a case of complete suffocation. Here are a few catchy signs to help you quickly identify this unfortunate condition:

• A person can not say a word, only publishes intrauterine sounds.
• The cough is inactive, weak, inconclusive (you hear only attempts to cough).
• If a person can breathe a little, the process is accompanied by a whistle.
• The victim turns blue, loses consciousness.
• The behavior shows an increase in oxygen deficiency - attempts to fight for life, convulsive movements weaken, the victim calms down, freezes.

Salvation with complete suffocation

What to do if a person chokes on food and suffocates in this form? Take action immediately:

1. Ask a third party to call an ambulance.
2. Hit him five times on the back - between the shoulder blades.
3. Failed to displace a foreign body in this way? Use Heimlich’s technique - five shocks are enough.
4. If the state of the unfortunate person is the same, then repeat the second and third steps of the algorithm one by one - blows on the back and Heimlich’s technique.
5. Continue actions until the person begins to breathe or loses consciousness.
6. In the second case, one should already proceed to the initial resuscitation. Unclench the affected jaw, take two breaths from mouth to mouth. Then 30 jerks with clasped palms on the chest of the choked.
7. Repeat actions until the person regains consciousness.
   

Foreign body removal

If possible, it will be useful to open the mouth of the victim and examine it for the presence of a foreign body. There is a chance that you will be able to pull out this piece of food with your hands.

In this case, it is important to be collected and calm, to control the situation (the victim should not rush, twitch, but should be under your control), otherwise your actions will only push the foreign body further into the airways, which will aggravate the situation.

Reception of Heimlich

What to do if a person chokes on food (prevents a foreign object from breathing in the airways)? In case of complete suffocation, the Heimlich method is used.

The fact is, even if we take a deep deep breath, there will still be some supply of air in our lungs. If artificially squeezed out with the help of an external force, this will help to push out the stuck piece. Similar to the effect of a champagne cork shot.

What to do if a person chokes on food? Use Heimlich’s technique:

1. Stand behind the choked.
2. Over the waist, gently hug him with one hand.
3. Squeeze her hand into a fist and attach it to the upper abdomen (just below the convergence of the ribs).
4. At the height of his stomach, grasp your fist with the other hand.
5. With both hands, sharply pull the victim towards you. The movement should resemble a case as if you want to lift it.
6. Reception is repeated 5 times in a row.

Now let's turn to specific cases.

Help yourself

You know what to do if a person choked on a bone. But if you need help yourself?

In a situation with partial suffocation, try to cough hard - how much strength is enough. If suffocation is complete, then Heimlich’s technique is applied, but with respect to himself:

1. Place one fist just below the sternum, but above the navel - on the central part of the abdomen.
2. With your other hand, sharply and strongly press your fist, directing it up.
3. It is very good if there is a fixed or stable object in the room - a sink, a table and so on. When you press a fist with your hand, lean on the control limb and body leaning on this thing - this will help to perform the method more effectively.

Help child

We examined what to do if a person choked on a bone from a fish, for example. But if the victim is a child?

In no case do the following:

• Do not hit him hard on the back - this can lead to injury to the cervical spine.
• Do not shake the child, holding his legs, head down!

If the baby is conscious, but cannot cough, breathe, do the following:

1. Put the child back on the forearm of your right hand, holding his head with a brush.
2. Put the forearm of the left hand on the baby’s chest, holding the lower jaw of the victim with her fingers.
3. Turn the baby on the forearm of his left hand so that his head is slightly below the legs.
4. With the palm of your right hand, slap the child on the back 5 times. In this case, it is better to rest the limb on the thigh of your leg - strokes will be more effective.

If the actions are inconclusive, then:

1. With your free hand, continue to hold the child’s head.
2. Turn it upside down.
3. Hold the forearm of your hand on his back.
4. With two fingers, press on the sternum (in the midline, which runs at the level of the nipples). Depth of pressure - 1.5-2 cm.
5. Lean with your active hand on your hip.
6. Repeat the procedure until the child regains consciousness, begins to breathe.

Help for a pregnant woman

In case of complete suffocation, use the same Heimlich technique. But it is only necessary to carry it out, pressing not on the stomach, but on the chest of the victim. The location for this is the midline of the sternum (passes between the mammary glands, nipples).

The most important thing here is to remain calm and correctly identify the type of suffocation. Do not panic yourself, keep in mind the algorithm of the necessary actions and try to calm the victim!