What to do if someone is choking
A quick guide to helping a person who is choking. Keep it where you can find it.
This is a quick guide to helping someone who is choking. Keep it where you can find it. If at any point they cannot breathe and you are alone, call 999 and put it on speaker.
Your care details
To be completed by the team before you leave.
If someone cannot cough, speak or breathe, this is a life-threatening emergency.
- They cannot cough, speak, cry or breathe
- They become limp, floppy, or pass out
- Their lips or face turn blue or grey
- The blockage does not clear after 5 back blows and 5 thrusts
- They were choking and are now unresponsive and not breathing normally
They should be assessed even if they now seem completely fine.
- The blockage cleared, but they still have a cough, a hoarse voice, or pain on swallowing
- They feel that something is still stuck in the throat or chest
- Back blows, abdominal thrusts or chest thrusts were used at any point
- They are bringing up blood, or have chest or tummy pain afterwards
If you are alone with an adult: shout for help, start back blows and thrusts straight away, and call 999 on speakerphone as you go. Do not leave them to find a phone. If you are alone with a baby or child: start back blows and thrusts immediately, and call 999 on speakerphone after about a minute if you are still on your own. If someone else is with you, send them to call 999 the moment you realise the person cannot cough or breathe. If they can still cough forcefully, encourage them to keep coughing and stay with them — do not do back blows or thrusts yet, but be ready.
If they can still cough or speak
- Encourage them to keep coughing — this is the best way to clear it.
- Stay with them. Do not slap their back while they can breathe, cough or speak.
- Remove anything obvious from the mouth, but do not put your fingers in to feel for it.
If they cannot breathe, cough or speak (adult or child over 1)
- Give up to 5 firm back blows between the shoulder blades with the heel of your hand.
- If that fails, give up to 5 abdominal thrusts — stand behind, hands just above the belly button, and pull sharply inwards and upwards.
- Keep alternating 5 back blows and 5 thrusts. Call 999 if it does not clear.
- If she is pregnant, or you cannot reach round the belly, push on the lower chest instead.
For a baby under 1 year
Never use abdominal thrusts on a baby. Lay them face down along your forearm, head low, and give up to 5 back blows between the shoulder blades. If that fails, turn them face up and give up to 5 chest thrusts using two fingers on the breastbone. Keep alternating, and call 999 if the blockage does not clear. Have the baby checked by a doctor afterwards, even if it comes out.