Abstract
Foreign body airway obstruction (FBAO), or commonly known as choking, is an extremely dangerous event. The European Resuscitation Council recommends that back blows and abdominal thrusts should be performed for relieving FBAO in conscious adults. Reviewed here evidence suggests that applying a prone or a head-down position increases effectiveness of the above standard approaches to relieve obstruction, due to help of gravity.
Highlights
Choking is an emergency situation, and it can quickly result in death if not treated promptly [1]
The European Resuscitation Council recommends that back blows and abdominal thrusts should be performed for relieving Foreign body airway obstruction (FBAO) in conscious adults
For conscious adults showing signs of severe airway obstruction, the European Resuscitation Council recommends applying back blows followed by abdominal thrusts [6]
Summary
Choking is an emergency situation, and it can quickly result in death if not treated promptly [1]. It is estimated that choking can result in tens of thousands of deaths each year (incidence of 0.65–0.9:100,000) [3,4]. Even if other people are present during a FBAO, in only 5–13% of these cases are the observers or medical personnel able to make a correct diagnosis and initiate the appropriate treatment [12,13]. These statistics underscore the importance of developing an alternative method of treatment which could be self-applied without relying on the presence or knowledge of other people
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.