Choking - Heimlich maneuver
Choking is when someone is having a very hard time breathing because food, a toy, or other object is blocking the throat or windpipe (airway).
A choking person's airway may be blocked so that not enough oxygen reaches the lungs. Without oxygen, brain damage can occur in as little as 4 to 6 minutes. Rapid first aid for choking can save a person's life.
Abdominal thrusts is an emergency technique to help clear someone's airway.
First ask, "Are you choking? Can you speak?" Do not perform first aid if the person is coughing forcefully and is able to speak. A strong cough can often dislodge the object.
If the person is choking, perform abdominal thrusts as follows:
You may need to repeat the procedure several times before the object is dislodged. If repeated attempts do not free the airway, call 911 or the local emergency number.
If the person loses consciousness, start CPR.
If you are not comfortable performing abdominal thrusts, you can perform back blows instead on a person who is choking.
For infants, 5 back blows alternating with 5 chest thrusts is often recommended.
Goodloe JM, Soulek J. Foreign bodies. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 51.
Hewett Brumberg EK, Douma MJ, Alibertis K, et al. American Heart Association and American Red Cross. 2024 American Heart Association and American Red Cross guidelines for first aid. Circulation. 2024;150(24):e519-e579. PMID: 39540278 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39540278/.
Perman SM, Elmer J, Maciel CB, et al. 2023 American Heart Association focused update on adult advanced cardiovascular life support: An update to the American Heart Association guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and emergency cardiovascular care. Circulation. 2023;149(5):e254-e273. PMID: 38108133 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ 38108133/.
Rose E. Pediatric upper airway obstruction and infections. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 162.
BACK TO TOPReview Date: 1/8/2025
Reviewed By: Jesse Borke, MD, CPE, FAAEM, FACEP, Attending Physician at Kaiser Permanente, Orange County, CA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
![]() Health Content Provider
06/01/2025
|
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, for Health Content Provider (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial policy, editorial process and privacy policy. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics. This site complied with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information from 1995 to 2022, after which HON (Health On the Net, a not-for-profit organization that promoted transparent and reliable health information online) was discontinued. |
The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997- 2025 A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.