AIRWAY

OBSTRUCTION
and
FOREIGN BODIES
Definition:

• Airway obstruction; Choking

• An acute upper airway
obstruction is a blockage of the
upper airway, which can be in
the trachea, laryngeal (voice
box), or pharyngeal (throat)
areas.
Causes:

• Foreign bodies
• Anaphylaxis
• Croup
• Epiglottitis
• Retropharyngeal abscess
• Peritonsillar abscess
Signs & Symptoms

• Choking
• Coughing
• Gasping for air
• Wheezing, crowing, whistling, or
other unusual breathing noises
indicating breathing difficulty
Signs & Symptoms:

• Agitation or fidgeting
• Labored Respiration
• Panic
• Cyanosis
• Changes in consciousness
• Unconsciousness
Complications:

• Inability to relieve the

obstruction can cause breathing
failure, brain damage, or death.
Treatment:

• If there is partial obstruction

–choking victim should be allowed
to try to cough up the foreign
object on his or her own.
Treatment:

• For anaphylaxis
–Epinephrine may be administered
to reduce laryngeal edema and
relieve obstruction.
Treatment:

• For laryngeal Spasm and

Edematous Larynx
–An endotracheal tube may be
inserted to maintain airflow.
Treatment:

• If the victim has a complete

obstruction and is unable to
speak or breath, the Heimlich
Maneuver may be lifesaving.
Indications of blocked airway:
• The person can not speak or cry
out.

• The person's face turns blue from

lack of oxygen.

• The person desperately grabs at his

or her throat.
Indications of blocked airway:

• The person has a weak cough,

and labored breathing produces
a high-pitched noise.

• The person does all of the

above, then becomes
unconscious.
Heimlich Maneuver

• Is performed immediately to
clear obstruction.

• The Heimlich maneuver can be

performed on all people.
Heimlich Maneuver

• Modifications are necessary if

the choking victim is very
obese, pregnant, a child, or an
infant.
• 6-10 sharp and
distinct thrusts
upward and
inward
– pressure to forces
the foreign object
back up the
trachea

– As the victim is
deprived of
oxygen, the
muscles of the
trachea relax
slightly
If the victim is unconscious
– Lay patient on the floor
– Bend chin forward, feel in the mouth
for foreign objects
– kneel astride the victim's thighs and
place fists between the bottom of the
victim's breastbone and the navel
– execute a series of 6-10 sharp
compressions by pushing inward and
upward
 Performing the
Heimlich maneuver
under special
circumstances
OBVIOUSLY PREGNANT AND VERY OBESE
PEOPLE

• Fists are placed against the

middle of the breastbone, and
the motion of the chest thrust is
in and downward, rather than
upward .
CHILDREN

• The amount of force used is

less than that used with adults
in order to avoid damaging the
child's ribs, breastbone, and
internal organs
INFANTS UNDER ONE YEAR OLD
– Lie infant along the forearm with face
pointed towards the floor.
– Hand supports the head of the infant
– Using the heel of the other hand, the
rescuer administers four or five rapid
blows to the infant's back between the
shoulder blades
– Turn the infant over so that the infant is
lying face up
– rescuer places the index and middle
finger on the center of the breastbone
and makes four sharp chest thrusts
SELF-ADMINISTRATION OF THE
HEIMLICH MANEUVER
– make a fist with one hand and place it in
the middle of the body at a spot above the
navel and below the breastbone
– grasp the fist with the other hand and push
sharply inward and upward
If this fails…

• Press the upper abdomen over

the back of a chair, edge of a
table, porch railing or
something similar, and thrust
up and inward until the object
is dislodged
Risks
• Incorrectly applied, the Heimlich
maneuver can break bones or
damage internal organs. In infants,
the rescuer should never attempt
to sweep the baby's mouth without
looking to remove foreign material.
This is likely to push the material
farther down the trachea.
• In many cases the foreign material
is dislodged from the throat, and
the choking victim suffers no
permanent effects of the episode. If
the foreign material is not removed,
the person dies from lack of
oxygen.
Client Teaching
– Preventing obstruction
• When eating, make small bites,
chew properly before swallowing
• Provide emotional support
• Awareness of the foods and drugs
that can cause anaphylaxis
• Train more people of the Heimlich
Maneuver