When someone is choking, time is of the essence. The longer it takes for help to arrive, the more serious the situation becomes. In that case, applying the correct first aid technique is essential. If you’re not sure what to do, here are some basic principles to remember when assisting someone who is choking.A person who is choking can’t breathe, so you need to clear their airway to allow them to breathe again. If the person is actively trying to breathe, this will be obvious to you. If you are alone with the person who is choking, you can give them artificial respiration by placing your hand on their upper chest and pressing firmly downward while counting “10” (as in, 10, pause, 10, pause, 10). If the person is not breathing on their own, you should continue the downward pressing motion while counting “30” (as in, 30, pause, 30). Doing this will help clear their airway and allow them to breathe again. If you are alone with a person who is choking and they are not actively trying to breathe, you can administer artificial respiration by placing a rolled-up towel or scarf into their mouth (or covering their mouth with yours) and applying pressure to the back of their throat for 10 seconds, then removing it and letting them breathe for 10 seconds. If there is no response after 10 seconds, proceed to the next section of advice.

Check for breathing

If you are helping someone who is choking and have not been able to clear their airway, the next thing to do is check for breathing. For adults, there should be at least 10 seconds of no breathing before you begin to worry about the person’s condition. Children, on the other hand, have a shorter period of time before which they are at risk of dying. Generally, if a child has not regained consciousness after 10 seconds, they are at risk of dying.

Call 9-1-1

If you are alone with someone who is choking and have not been able to clear their airway, you should call 9-1-1 as soon as possible. The dispatcher will send emergency medical assistance to the location of the call.

Look for signs of life

If you have been unable to clear the person’s airway and are still unable to detect any sign of breathing, the person may be in cardiac arrest. In this situation, the person’s heart has stopped beating and needs to be restarted. To help with this, you can try to massage the person’s chest and arms. You may also want to open their airway again and then open their veins to help the blood move from their arms to their heart. If there is still no response after these actions, you should continue to monitor the person’s condition and call 9-1-1 again.

Summing up

Choking is a medical emergency that can quickly become fatal. If you witness someone choking, you should perform the Heimlich maneuver. If this is not successful, the person can quickly lose consciousness and die. Therefore, the best way to administer first aid to someone who is choking is to clear their airway of any obstruction as quickly as possible.