If a resident is choking, what is the first action you should take?

If a resident is choking, what is the first action you should take?

• A. Begin chest compressions immediately.
• B. Ask the resident if they are choking and encourage coughing if able.
• C. Perform the Heimlich maneuver right away without asking.
• D. Move behind the resident and wrap your arms around them.

Answer: (B)

When someone is choking but still responsive, the first step is to check if they are choking and encourage them to cough if they can. If they can cough forcefully, their airway is not completely blocked, so let them continue coughing while you stay with them and call for help if needed. If they cannot cough, speak, or breathe, you then proceed with the appropriate relief measures (such as abdominal thrusts from behind) to dislodge the object. Chest compressions are reserved for an unresponsive person or one without a pulse, not the first action for a conscious choking resident. The position behind them for abdominal thrusts is the setup for that intervention, but you don’t jump to it before confirming the person cannot clear the obstruction on their own.

When someone is choking but still responsive, the first step is to check if they are choking and encourage them to cough if they can. If they can cough forcefully, their airway is not completely blocked, so let them continue coughing while you stay with them and call for help if needed. If they cannot cough, speak, or breathe, you then proceed with the appropriate relief measures (such as abdominal thrusts from behind) to dislodge the object. Chest compressions are reserved for an unresponsive person or one without a pulse, not the first action for a conscious choking resident. The position behind them for abdominal thrusts is the setup for that intervention, but you don’t jump to it before confirming the person cannot clear the obstruction on their own.