Call 911 now.
Put the phone on speaker so you can keep helping. The dispatcher can talk you through what to do.
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- Ask, “Are you choking?” If they can cough hard or talk, let them keep coughing.
- Call 911, or have someone call, if they can’t cough, talk, or breathe.
- Give 5 back blows between the shoulder blades with the heel of your hand.
- Give 5 abdominal thrusts — fist just above the belly button, pull in and up, hard.
- Keep switching between 5 back blows and 5 thrusts until the object comes out.
- If they pass out, lower them to the ground and start CPR.
Call 911 if:
- The person can’t breathe, cough, speak, or cry, or is turning blue or gray
- The person becomes unresponsive
Babies under 1 year
- Lay the baby face down along your forearm, head lower than the chest, supporting the jaw. Give 5 firm back blows between the shoulder blades.
- Turn the baby face up, head lower than the chest. Give 5 chest thrusts with the heel of one hand in the center of the chest, just below the nipple line, about 1½ inches deep.
- Repeat until the object comes out or the baby can cry, cough, or breathe. Start CPR if the baby stops responding.
Never give abdominal thrusts to a baby under 1.
Special cases
- Pregnant or very large person: Give chest thrusts instead of abdominal thrusts. Place your fist on the center of the breastbone and pull straight back.
- If you are alone and choking: Call 911, then give yourself abdominal thrusts or press your upper belly hard against the back of a chair.
Afterward
Anyone who received abdominal or chest thrusts should be checked by a doctor. See the choking guide for more.