If a patient is choking, what is the recommended sequence of the rescue actions?

If a patient is choking, what is the recommended sequence of the rescue actions?

• A. 2 back blows and 2 chest thrusts
• B. 5 back blows and 5 chest thrusts
• C. 5 abdominal thrusts
• D. Rescue breaths

Answer: (B)

When someone is choking, the goal is to dislodge the object blocking the airway using two complementary maneuvers: back blows and chest thrusts. Delivering five back blows between the shoulder blades helps jar the object loose, while five chest thrusts (used instead of abdominal thrusts for pregnant or obese individuals) increase chest pressure to push air past the obstruction and expel it. Repeating these cycles—back blows then chest thrusts—gives you repeated chances to clear the airway without relying on a single method. Continue until the object is expelled or the person can cough, speak, or breathe. If the person becomes unresponsive, call for emergency help and begin CPR, starting with chest compressions. The combination of back blows and chest thrusts is favored because it uses two mechanisms to relieve the obstruction and is safer for people where abdominal thrusts are not advisable. The other options either use too few maneuvers, isolate one method only, or involve rescue breaths that don’t address the blockage.

When someone is choking, the goal is to dislodge the object blocking the airway using two complementary maneuvers: back blows and chest thrusts. Delivering five back blows between the shoulder blades helps jar the object loose, while five chest thrusts (used instead of abdominal thrusts for pregnant or obese individuals) increase chest pressure to push air past the obstruction and expel it. Repeating these cycles—back blows then chest thrusts—gives you repeated chances to clear the airway without relying on a single method. Continue until the object is expelled or the person can cough, speak, or breathe.

If the person becomes unresponsive, call for emergency help and begin CPR, starting with chest compressions. The combination of back blows and chest thrusts is favored because it uses two mechanisms to relieve the obstruction and is safer for people where abdominal thrusts are not advisable. The other options either use too few maneuvers, isolate one method only, or involve rescue breaths that don’t address the blockage.