Choking is the blockage of the airway by a foreign body. This occurs when a piece of food or a small object gets stuck in the throat which may not allow air to enter and exit the lungs normally.
 
Normally, when a choking occurs, our body reacts by instinctively coughing. Usually coughing will enable most people to relieve their own obstruction. This however may not be true in children, the elderly and those with swallowing difficulties.

If coughing does not immediately clear the obstruction, the person only has a few minutes (in the case of a complete obstruction) before brain damage and death is likely to occur. First Aid therefore has to be applied immediately and if First Aid fails, the LifeVac anti-choking device should be used.

A Partial Obstruction occurs when the foreign body in the airway does not completely block the airway and so some air can still move in and out of the person's lungs (that is, they can still breathe but with difficulty - they may be coughing and distressed, they may be clutching at their throat)

One of the best ways to tell if the person has a partial obstruction is if they have an effective cough. If they do, the obstruction is partial.

If the person has a partial obstruction and is still a pink colour and is not becoming slightly drowsy or lethargic, then first aid measures should be avoided and the person should be seen in a hospital Emergency Department immediately. Trying to relieve this sort of obstruction may force it further down or more tightly impact the material in the airway and thus create a more dangerous Complete Obstruction.

A person with a Partial Obstruction should be encouraged to cough and taken to hospital as soon as possible.

A Complete Obstruction is a very serious, time-critical situation. 

Back blows

• Inform the person that you are going to help them.
• Stand next to and slightly behind the person.
• Place the person in a head down position. For children this could be over your knee or for larger children or adults, bending them over a chair or supporting their chest with one hand while bending them forward.
• Give up to five (5) sharp blows to the back (between the shoulder blades) using the ball of your hand
• If back blows fail move on to chest or abdominal thrusts. On children less that one (1) year old chest thrust are preferred to reduce the risk of injury and these can be done with the infant flat on their back and applying compressions in the centre of the chest (a bit like CPR compressions). Abdominal Thrust (also called Heimlich Manoeuvre)

Chest or abdominal thrusts

• Stand or kneel behind the person.
• Wrap your arms around the person (below their arms). Form one fist with one hand closed and the other covering it and place the fist on the upper abdomen of the person; Between the navel and the end of the sternum (where the lowest ribs intersect).
• Pull sharply and forcefully. The force should be directed inwards and upwards (like you are trying to pull towards the middle of the person's upper back).
• Stop after each compression and check to see if the object has been ejected.

Alternatively, when trying to relieve an obstruction on a pregnant women or an obese person with a large abdomen, Chest Thrusts are the preferred technique:

• Stand or kneel behind the person.
• Wrap your arm around the person (under the arms)
• Form one fist with one hand closed and the other covering it and place the fist on the middle of the chest (where we do CPR compressions).
• Stop after each compression and check to see if the object has been ejected.
• If the obstruction has not been released, repeat the manoeuvre up to 5 times.

Repeat these steps and call Ambulance via 000

Utilise your LifeVac®

If the person loses consciousness, place them on the floor and commence CPR

As a result of a Complete Obstruction and first aid measures, the choking person can suffer injuries. Sometimes, the process of choking can result in a fluid buildup in the lungs of the person, that may need to be treated with medications. Additionally, first aid measures are necessarily violent and desperate. This rarely results in any injuries, however the person may need to be observed in hospital after suffering a Complete Obstruction.

LifeVac is an anti-choking device specially designed to release airway obstruction from a person by generating a negative pressure. The pressure generated is 3 times higher than that generated through abdominal thrusts (Heimlich Manoeuvre).

• Turn the lying person face up to work more easily or recline the head back in the case of a person in a wheelchair/chair.
• Choose the appropriate mask size and discard the colored plastic ring. Insert the mask into the unit by rotating it while exerting pressure. Be sure to check that the mask is securely attached to the unit.
• Place the mask over their nose and mouth, with their mouth open and keeping their chin up.
• You should firmly hold the mask over the nose and mouth. Make sure there is no air entering the mask
• While holding the mask in place with one hand, push the handle down with the other hand to compress the unit.
• Once the handle has been pushed all the way, pull the handle up quickly, while holding the mask firmly in place
• Remove any debris from the mouth. Also check the unit for debris.
• Repeat this procedure if necessary.