Document Text
--- Document: New American Heart Association Guidelines - Child/Infant Choking Document ---
INFANT CHOKING
H E A R T S AV E R ®
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KJ-1708 2/21 © 2021 American Heart Association
1. Recognize a severe airway block when an infant
• Cannot breathe or make a sound
• Has a cough that has no sound
2. Remove the object (support the infant’s head):
• Give up to 5 back slaps: hold the infant facedown and give
slaps with the heel of your hand between the shoulder blades.
• If the object does not come out, turn the infant onto their back.
• Give up to 5 chest thrusts: use 2 fingers to push on the center
of their chest.
• Repeat giving up to 5 back slaps and up to 5 chest thrusts
until the infant can breathe, cough, or cry or until they become
unresponsive.
3. If the infant becomes unresponsive
• Shout for help.
• Use a cell phone; put it on speaker mode while you begin CPR.
• Give sets of 30 compressions and 2 breaths, checking the
mouth for objects after each set of compressions (remove
object if seen).
• If you are alone and do not have a cell phone, after 5 sets of 30
compressions and 2 breaths, take the infant with you to phone
9-1-1 and get an AED. Use the AED as soon as it is available.
Continue CPR, checking the mouth for objects after each set
of compressions.
• Continue CPR and looking in the mouth after each set of
compressions until
‒ The infant moves, cries, speaks, blinks, or otherwise reacts
‒ Someone with more advanced training arrives and
takes over
CHILD CHOKING
H E A R T S AV E R ®
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1. Recognize a severe airway block when a child
• Makes the choking sign
• Cannot breathe, cough, speak, or make sounds
• Has a cough that has no sound
• Ask, “Are you choking?” If they nod yes, tell them you are
going to help.
2. Give thrusts slightly above the navel until
• Object is forced out or
• Child can breathe or make sounds or
• Child becomes unresponsive
3. If the infant becomes unresponsive
• Shout for help.
• Use a cell phone to call 9-1-1; put it on speaker mode so you
can talk to the dispatcher while you begin CPR.
• Give sets of 30 compressions and 2 breaths, checking the
mouth for objects after each set of compressions (remove
object if seen).
• If you are alone and do not have a cell phone, give 5 sets of 30
compressions and 2 breaths. Then, go phone 9-1-1 and get
an AED. Use the AED as soon as it is available. Continue CPR,
checking the mouth for objects after each set of compressions.
• Continue CPR and looking in the mouth after each set of
compressions until
‒ The child moves, cries, speaks, blinks, or otherwise reacts
‒ Someone with more advanced training arrives and
takes over
KJ-1719 10/23 © 2023 American Heart Association
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