Healthcare Provider BLS Course
Learn CPR. For Life™
CHOKING RESCUE FOR CHILD OR INFANT VICTIM
Technique used to assist a choking responsive child is abdominal thrusts, aka the Heimlich maneuver.
- stand or kneel behind the victim and wrap your arms around their waist
- make a fist with one hand
- place the thumb side of your fist against the victim’s abdomen, in the midline, slightly above the navel and well below the breastbone
- grasp your fist with your other hand and press your fist into the victim’s abdomen with a quick forceful upward thrust
- give each thrust a distinct sharp movement
- repeat thrusts until the foreign object is expelled from the airway
If a choking child victim is unresponsive:
- shout for help to activate ERS
- if the victim is becoming unresponsive, help or lower them to the ground
- begin CPR
- check in the victim’s mouth for foreign objects that can be easily removed
- after about 5 minutes of CPR, activate ERS if hasn’t been done
To provide assistance to a choking responsive infant
- kneel or sit with the infant in your lap
- Hold the infant face down on your forearm, with his head slightly lower than the chest.
- Support his head and jaw with your hand
- Rest your forearm on your lap
- Using the heel of your free hand, deliver 5 forceful back slaps between the infant’s shoulder blades
- Carefully turn the infant over, so that he is face up on your forearm, resting on your lap
- With 2 fingers of your free hand, deliver 5 quick downward chest thrusts. These should be done at the same location as CPR compressions.
- Repeat 5 back slaps/5 chest thrusts until the object is dislodged
To provide assistance to a choking unresponsive infant
- shout for help to activate ERS
- Begin CPR. As you open the infant’s airway, check for any visible foreign objects which can be easily removed
- after about 2 minutes of CPR, activate ERS