First Aider Practice Test

When a conscious person is choking and the blockage isn’t clearing, you act to physically dislodge the object rather than waiting for it to come out on its own or just giving oxygen. The best next step is to use a sequence of back blows and abdominal (or chest) thrusts and to call for help if the blockage doesn’t improve. The idea is to generate enough pressure to push the object out of the airway. Start with firm back blows: stand behind the casualty, stabilize the chest with one hand, and deliver five sharp blows between the shoulder blades with the heel of your other hand. If the object doesn’t come out, switch to abdominal thrusts (the Heimlich maneuver) for adults and children over one year: wrap your arms around the abdomen, place a fist just above the navel, grasp the fist with your other hand, and give quick inward and upward thrusts five times. If abdominal thrusts aren’t appropriate or possible (for example, in pregnancy or obesity), chest thrusts can be used instead. Alternate back blows and thrusts and continue until the object is expelled or the casualty starts to cough forcefully or becomes unconscious. If it doesn’t improve promptly, call emergency services and keep up the relief attempts. Providing oxygen by mask is helpful for breathing if available, but it doesn’t remove the obstruction itself. The priority is removing the blockage through these relief maneuvers rather than waiting or simply lowering the casualty to rest. If the person becomes unconscious, you would begin CPR and check for an obvious obstructing object if it’s visible and safe to remove.