Choking on food

If someone is choking, first encourage them to cough to clear the blockage. If coughing doesn’t work, stand behind them, slightly to one side, lean them forward and give up to five sharp slaps between the shoulder blades with the heel of your hand. If choking persists, stand behind them, place your arms around their waist, and bend them forward. Clench your fist and place it between their belly button and the bottom of their breastbone. Place your other hand on top, then thrust both hands inwards and upwards into the stomach with a hard movement, up to five times. If the obstruction still isn’t cleared, repeat back slaps and thrusts up to three times, checking their mouth after each step, until the object is expelled.

If this hasn’t worked, call an ambulance. Continue your efforts until help arrives. If the person becomes unconscious, give mouth-to -mouth resuscitation, as the throat may relax, allowing breaths to get through. If you can’t get air in, give chest compressions to try to relieve the obstruction quickly.

For babies under one year, lay them facedown along your forearm, keeping the head low and give back slaps. Turn the baby face-up on your arm and remove the object. If this fails, place two fingertips on the lower half of the baby’s breastbone. Give five thrusts into the chest. Check the mouth and repeat, if needed.