Question

the specific steps for performing emergency relief on a person with an obstructed airway, each step with a brief explanation

Answer 1

When someone has an obstructed airway (choking), it's crucial to act quickly. Here are the specific steps you should follow, often using the Heimlich maneuver (abdominal thrusts) for adults and children, along with back blows and chest thrusts for infants. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

### For Adults and Children (over 1 year):

1. **Assess the Situation**:
- **Check for Consciousness**: If the person is coughing forcefully or can speak, encourage them to keep coughing. If they cannot breathe, speak, or cough, proceed to the next step.

2. **Call for Help**:
- **Activate Emergency Services**: If the person is unable to breathe, cough, or speak, call emergency services or have someone do so while you help.

3. **Position Yourself**:
- **Stand Behind the Person**: If they are standing, position yourself behind them. For someone sitting, you can perform the maneuver from behind or have them lean forward slightly.

4. **Administer Abdominal Thrusts** (Heimlich Maneuver):
- **Make a Fist**: Place your fist just above the person's navel.
- **Grip Your Fist**: With your other hand, grip your fist to apply pressure.
- **Thrust Inward and Upward**: Quickly thrust inward and upward to create pressure. Repeat until the object is expelled or the person becomes unconscious.

5. **Repeat as Necessary**:
- Continue performing abdominal thrusts (up to 5 times) if the object does not dislodge.

6. **If the Victim Becomes Unconscious**:
- Gently lower them to the ground and start CPR if they are unresponsive.

### For Infants (under 1 year):

1. **Assess the Situation**:
- **Look and Listen**: If the infant cannot cry, cough, or breathe, proceed to the next step.

2. **Call for Help**:
- **Activate Emergency Services**: If someone else is present, ask them to call for help while you attend to the infant.

3. **Position the Infant**:
- **Hold the Infant Face Down**: Place them on your forearm, supporting their head and neck with your hand.

4. **Give Back Blows**:
- **Use the Heel of Your Hand**: Deliver up to 5 firm back blows between the infant's shoulder blades. This can help dislodge the object.

5. **Turn the Infant**:
- **Support the Head**: If the object is not dislodged, turn the infant onto their back while supporting the head and neck.

6. **Administer Chest Thrusts**:
- **Two Fingers**: Place your index and middle finger on the center of the infant's chest, just below the nipple line.
- **Thrust**: Give up to 5 quick thrusts, pressing down about 1.5 inches deep.

7. **Repeat as Necessary**:
- Alternate between 5 back blows and 5 chest thrusts until the object is expelled or the infant becomes unconscious.

8. **If the Infant Becomes Unconscious**:
- Place them on a flat surface and start CPR if they are unresponsive.

### Final Note:
Always seek professional medical help after attempting to relieve choking, even if the object is dislodged. It's important to ensure that there are no further complications, and seeking emergency medical help is crucial. Additionally, consider taking a certified first aid and CPR course to practice these techniques under professional supervision.