A child who has no recent history of illness suddenly appears cyanotic and cannot speak after playing with a small toy. You should:

A child who has no recent history of illness suddenly appears cyanotic and cannot speak after playing with a small toy. You should:

• A. Clear the airway with a finger sweep to remove the object.
• B. Perform abdominal thrusts.
• C. Begin rescue breaths immediately.
• D. Signal for help and wait.

Answer: (B)

When a conscious child suddenly becomes cyanotic and cannot speak after choking on a small toy, the airway is completely blocked. The goal is to clear that blockage as quickly as possible. Abdominal thrusts (the Heimlich maneuver) create a sharp rise in intrathoracic pressure that often ejects the object from the airway, restoring the ability to breathe. This is the fastest, most effective first step in a conscious child with a severe airway obstruction. Avoid sweeping the airway with a finger unless you can clearly see and safely remove the object—blind finger sweeps can push the object deeper or cause injury. Starting rescue breaths immediately won’t help while the obstruction remains; you need to relieve the blockage first. Waiting or signaling for help without taking action wastes precious time; if help is available, have someone call EMS while you perform the thrusts. If the child becomes unresponsive at any point, transition to CPR with rescue breaths and follow the EMS protocol.

When a conscious child suddenly becomes cyanotic and cannot speak after choking on a small toy, the airway is completely blocked. The goal is to clear that blockage as quickly as possible. Abdominal thrusts (the Heimlich maneuver) create a sharp rise in intrathoracic pressure that often ejects the object from the airway, restoring the ability to breathe. This is the fastest, most effective first step in a conscious child with a severe airway obstruction.

Avoid sweeping the airway with a finger unless you can clearly see and safely remove the object—blind finger sweeps can push the object deeper or cause injury. Starting rescue breaths immediately won’t help while the obstruction remains; you need to relieve the blockage first. Waiting or signaling for help without taking action wastes precious time; if help is available, have someone call EMS while you perform the thrusts. If the child becomes unresponsive at any point, transition to CPR with rescue breaths and follow the EMS protocol.