Notes

Choking Relief for Infants

Infant Airway Obstruction
Infants are smaller and more fragile than adults and children. Therefore, infants with airway obstructions must be cared for differently. Instead of administering abdominal thrusts, infants are given back blows followed by several chest thrusts. Back blows may be used on victims who are under the age of one year or on very small toddlers.

Procedure for Infant Airway Obstruction
Apply these steps when an airway must be cleared in a responsive infant.
1. Verify that the infant is choking. If the infant can cry or cough, the airway is not completely blocked. However, if the infant cannot cry or cough, they are choking. replay
2. If the infant is choking, administer 5 back blows:
- Position the infant face-down on your forearm. Support the chin and face with your fingers and keep the head lower than the body. replay
- Sit or kneel and rest your arm against your leg to support the infant's weight. replay
- Use the heel of your free hand to give 5 firm blows between the infant's scapulae, or shoulder blades. Use enough force to dislodge the object.
3. If the back blows do not clear the obstruction, turn the infant face-up to administer chest thrusts:
- Place your free hand on the back of the neck.
- Support the body between both forearms and turn over the infant.
- Keep the infant's head lower than the body.
4. Administer 5 chest thrusts:
- Place the index finger and middle finger on the sternum about one finger-width below the nipples.
- Compress the sternum 5 times by pressing upwards toward the head.
- Use enough force to dislodge the object.
5. Turn the infant face-down. Repeat 5 back blows and 5 chest thrusts until the object is removed or the infant becomes unresponsive.

Choking Relief in an Unresponsive Infant
Follow these steps if the victim becomes unresponsive.
1. Carefully lay the infant on a firm surface.
2. If you are alone, shout for someone to help activate the emergency response system and retrieve an AED.
3. Begin CPR with chest compressions. Do not check for a pulse.
4. When you open the airway to give rescue breaths, look for the object in the infant’s mouth. If you see the object and it can be easily removed, carefully remove it. NEVER perform a blind finger-sweep because it may lodge the object more deeply in the airway.
5. If the object causing the obstruction was not removed, continue CPR.
6. After 2 minutes, about 5 cycles, activate the emergency response system and retrieve an AED if it has not already been done.
7. Use the AED when it is available.
8. If the airway obstruction is removed, treat the infant with BLS by first checking for responsiveness.