First Aid for Choking - Unconscious Adult

To remove an object causing choking, open the person's mouth with your thumb and index finger, placing your thumb over the tongue and your index finger under the chin. If the object is visible and loose, remove it. If the person is older than age 8, sweep two fingers from one side of the throat to the other to attempt to remove the object.

Review Date:1/2/2023
Reviewed By:Jesse Borke, MD, CPE, FAAEM, FACEP, Attending Physician at Kaiser Permanente, Orange County, CA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

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