a woman choking

Dealing with Adult Choking

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Dealing with Adult Choking

Updated March 2022

Adult choking
Choking is one of the most common incidents in first aid.

When someone’s airway is blocked by food , snow, seaweed, toys or other material, it is a potentially life threatening incident and quick action is required.

Watch our video showing how to deal with a choking adult

1. Mild choking

Mild choking: encourage them to cough. If they can speak (even faintly), or cough, that means some air is getting through. If the airway is only partly blocked, the person will usually be able to speak, cry, cough or breathe. They will usually be able to clear the blockage themselves by firm coughs.

To help with mild choking in an adult or child over one year old:Watch movie online John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)

  • Encourage the person to keep coughing to try and clear the blockage.
  • Ask the person to try to spit out the object if it’s in their mouth.
  • Coach children by showing them how to do a big cough action by demonstrating it yourself.
  • Don’t put your fingers in their mouth to help them as they may bite you accidentally.

2. Back slaps

Back slaps – If coughing doesn’t work, start back slaps.

  • Stand behind the person and slightly to one side. Support the top of their chest with one hand or arm. Lean the person forward so that the object blocking their airway will come out of their mouth, rather than moving further down.
  • Give up to five sharp blows between the person’s shoulder blades with the heel of your hand. (The heel is between the palm of your hand and your wrist).
  • After each back slap, check if the blockage has cleared.
  • If not, move on to giving them up to five abdominal thrusts (see below).

Consider phoning 999 at this stage if there has been no improvement.

3. Abdominal thrusts

Severe choking: We need to perform abdominal thrusts. Where choking is severe, the person will not be able to speak, cry, cough or breathe. Without help, they will eventually become unconscious. (Abdominal Thrusts used to be called the Heimlich Manoeuvre)

Important: Don’t give abdominal thrusts to babies under one year old or to pregnant women.

To help an adult or child over one year old:

  • Get the person to stand with their back against your hip bone area;
  • Place your arms around their waist and bend them forward;
  • Clench one fist and place it right above their belly button;
  • Put the other hand on top of your fist and pull sharply inwards and upwards in a scooping type of movement;
  • Repeat this movement up to five times;
  • After each abdominal thrust, check to see if the blockage has cleared.

Repeat and repeat….back slaps and abdominal thrusts in turn….

…until the blockage is cleared. If the person’s airway is still blocked after trying back blows and abdominal thrusts, get help immediately.

Call 999 and ask for an ambulance. Tell the 999 operator that the person is choking. Continue with the cycles of five back slaps and five abdominal thrusts until help arrives.

What can I do if a pregnant woman is choking?

Encourage her to cough it up. If this doesn’t work, try 5 back slaps as above.

If back slaps don’t work, get her to stand against a wall, and perform ‘chest thrusts’. This is similar to a CPR hand movement but when pressing on the chest you move your hands slightly upwards to try and push air, and the blockage, up and out of the casualty’s mouth. Be alert to the fact that you are in the firing line whilst doing this!

Continue to do 5 back slaps followed by 5 chest thrusts until the blockage clears.

Phone 999 and tell them you have a pregnant woman who is choking.

What happens if a choking person loses consciousness?

When helping someone who is choking always be alert to the possibility of them collapsing and safely guide them down onto the floor, on their back, so you can commence CPR. If the person loses consciousness and they’re not breathing, you should begin cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) with chest compressions. With the airway blocked, the lack of air intake will cause the heart to stop.

Watch our video on how to do CPR on an adult

Want to learn more about first aid including choking?

We cover choking as part all of our first aid courses because it is so common and an essential life saving skill. Browse through our range of first aid courses.

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