User:Mr. Ibrahem/Choking

Choking is when the airway gets blocked such that a person is unable to breathe. Symptoms may include sudden onset of drooling, coughing, wheezing, stridor, shortness of breath, or holding both hands around the front of the throat. People with mild choking can usually speak or cry while those with severe disease cannot. Without help unconsciousness and death may occur.

In young children it most commonly occurs due to food, toys, or a coin; while in old people it generally occurs due to food. Risk factors in the elderly include decreased saliva production, Alzheimer, and Parkinson disease. The underlying mechanism involves a foreign body partly or completely blocking the larynx, trachea, or bronchus. Diagnosis may be supported by asking if a person is choking and them nodding their head.

In those who are still able to cough, one should encourage them to do so; back slaps may be used if this is not sufficient. In those who cannot cough but are still conscious; those under the age of 1 should be given 5 back slaps in a head down position followed by 5 chest thrusts; those over the age of 1 should be given abdominal thrusts. In those who are unconscious CPR should be started beginning with chest compressions followed by checking the mouth for a foreign body, followed by attempts at ventilation. In an unconscious person, looking with a laryngoscope and potential removal with forceps is also recommended.

Choking is relatively common. It most commonly occurs in 1 to 3 year old children and people over the age of 60. In 2015 it resulted in around 5,000 deaths in the United States, making it the 4th leading cause of unintentional death. The condition has been documented since at least 1500 BCE, with the Papyrus Ebers recommending cutting open the airway in the neck as a treatment.