References:
- Lecturer (Coprade)
Otherwise known as choking. This is most commonly caused by food in adults and small toys in children (Lego bricks, coins, marbles, etc.)
- The universal sign of choking is a patient who is clutching their neck.
- Difficulty of breathing
- Sound production will vary depending on the degree of blockage of the airway. In patients whose airways are only partially blocked, they may still produce noises or talk. If there is full blockage, the patient will produce no sound.
- Restlessness
- Stridor, a harsh, rough sound that appears during inhalation.
- Color changes: initially pallor, then redness from pressure, then cyanosis.
- Decreasing LOC as choking becomes prolonged.
First aid is not immediately applied. Most cases (80%) of FBAO resolves independently; first, ask the patient if they require help. If help is required:
- Ask the patient to cough forcefully.
- If the patient is unable to cough the obstruction out, perform the heimlich maneuver.
- If the patient is unconscious, the heimlich maneuver may be performed while side-lying.
- If the patient is unconscious, the abdominal/chest thrust may be used.
- Once the foreign body has been dislodged (evidenced by the sound of air escaping the body in a pop-ish sound), assess for the foreign body and remove it with the finger sweep technique.
- Once recovering, the patient is placed on the recovery position (side-lying), and the patient is transported to the hospital.
In The Emergency Room
If the obstruction has not been removed and the patient has been brought to the emergency room, a tracheostomy is immediately performed, followed by oxygenation.
- Once an airway and oxygen has been established, the patient is scheduled for endoscopic extraction of the foreign body.