Larger or Pregnant Responsive, Choking Adult
- If you cannot reach far enough around a person to perform abdominal thrusts, or if you are aiding a woman who is obviously pregnant, alternate between 5 firm back blows and 5 chest thrusts.
- Continue until the object comes out, the person begins to breathe or cough, or the person becomes unresponsive.
Responsive, Choking Toddler
- If the child is short enough, kneel on the floor with one knee raised. 2
- Perform 5 back blows with the child leaning across your raised leg, alternating with either 5 chest thrusts or 5 abdominal thrusts.
- Continue until the object comes out, the child begins to breathe or cough, or the child becomes unresponsive.
If You Are By Yourself and Choking
- Dial EMS/9-1-1 and leave the phone off the hook. This will tell the dispatcher to send help.
- If there are people nearby, move to a place where you can be noticed.
- Attempt to dislodge the object by performing an abdominal thrust against a safe object with no sharp edges or corners, such as the back of a chair or the edge of a table.
Calling EMS/9-1-1 does not always tell the dispatcher your location. Enhanced 9-1-1 services may be able to triangulate your position from a mobile phone call, but it is accurate only to within several hundred meters. If you are using a VOIP system, the location of the call is dependent upon how the system is set up. Additionally, if you call from a landline phone, your exact position within the building will not be pinpointed. While the phone call is important, it is equally important that you move to a public area or a place where you are likely to be seen.
