choking
Sign in to saveChoking, also known as foreign body airway obstruction (FBAO), is a phenomenon that occurs when breathing is impeded by a blockage inside of the respiratory tract. An obstruction that prevents oxygen from entering the lungs results in oxygen deprivation. Although oxygen stored in the blood and lungs can keep a person alive for several minutes after breathing stops, choking often leads to death.
Key facts
- Medical condition.name
- Choking
- Medical condition.synonyms
- Foreign body airway obstruction
- Medical condition.image
- Abdominal thrusts3.jpg
- Medical condition.caption
- A demonstration of abdominal thrusts on a person showing signs of choking
- Medical condition.field
- Emergency medicine, otorhinolaryngology
- Medical condition.symptoms
- Gasping, wheezing, cyanosis, difficulty speaking, involuntary coughing, clutching of throat, severe respiratory distress, stridor, tachypnea
- Medical condition.complications
- Atelectasis, post-obstructive pneumonia, or bronchiectasis
- Medical condition.onset
- Minutes to days
- Medical condition.causes
- Foreign body aspiration
- Medical condition.diagnosis
- Based on symptoms, imaging, bronchoscopy
- Medical condition.treatment
- Foreign body removal
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
36 sectionsContents
- Signs and symptoms
- History of episode
- Respiratory
- Skin
- Causes
- Diagnosis
- Imaging and visualization methods
- Treatment
- Basic treatment (first aid)
- General strategy: "five and five"
- Cough
- Back blows (back slaps)
- Abdominal thrusts (Heimlich maneuver)
- Chest thrusts
- Unconscious victims
- Finger sweeping
- Particular cases
- Infants (babies under 1 year-old)
- Unconscious infants
- Pregnant or extremely obese people
- In wheelchair-using victims
- On the bed but unable to sit up
- On the floor but unable to sit up
- Seizing victim
- Self-treatment
- Advanced treatment
- Prevention
- General prevention
- Prevention for babies and children
- Anticipatory guidance from pediatricians
- Regulations for children in the United States
- Prevention for other groups at risk
- Notable cases
- See also
- References
- External links
Choking, also known as foreign body airway obstruction (FBAO), is a phenomenon that occurs when breathing is impeded by a blockage inside of the respiratory tract. An obstruction that prevents oxygen from entering the lungs results in oxygen deprivation. Although oxygen stored in the blood and lungs can keep a person alive for several minutes after breathing stops, choking often leads to death.
Around 4,500 to 5,000 choking-related deaths occur in the United States every year. Deaths from choking most often occur in the very young (children under three years old) and in the elderly (adults over 75 years). Foods that can adapt their shape to that of the pharynx (such as bananas, marshmallows, or gelatinous candies) are more dangerous. Various forms of specific first aid are used to address and resolve choking.