A victim with a foreign-body airway obstruction becomes unresponsive. What is your first course of action?

A victim with a foreign-body airway obstruction becomes unresponsive. What is your first course of action?

• A. Start CPR, beginning with chest compressions
• B. Check for a pulse for 10 seconds
• C. Attempt another breath
• D. Wait for EMS

Answer: (A)

When someone who has been choking becomes unresponsive, the priority is to restore circulation and oxygen delivery as quickly as possible. Starting CPR with chest compressions right away keeps blood flowing to vital organs, which is crucial if the person has entered cardiac arrest. Delaying to check for a pulse could waste valuable seconds, and attempting a breath won’t correct the underlying need for circulation if the airway obstruction has led to a collapse. Waiting for EMS would only delay life-saving action. So, begin CPR immediately. If you’re trained and able, you can provide ventilations as part of the CPR sequence, but the first action is to start chest compressions.

When someone who has been choking becomes unresponsive, the priority is to restore circulation and oxygen delivery as quickly as possible. Starting CPR with chest compressions right away keeps blood flowing to vital organs, which is crucial if the person has entered cardiac arrest. Delaying to check for a pulse could waste valuable seconds, and attempting a breath won’t correct the underlying need for circulation if the airway obstruction has led to a collapse. Waiting for EMS would only delay life-saving action. So, begin CPR immediately. If you’re trained and able, you can provide ventilations as part of the CPR sequence, but the first action is to start chest compressions.