Question

An 8-month old infant in the pediatric ward is eating lunch with the help of the ward volunteer. The infant suddenly begins to cough and is unable to make any noise shortly after. The volunteer picks up the infant and shouts for help. Which action do you perform to relieve choking in an unresponsive infant?

A. Perform CPR, and look in the mouth for the obstructing object
B. Give sets of 5 back slaps and 5 chest thrusts
C. Give sets of 5 abdominal thrusts and 5 back slaps
D. Attempt a blind finger sweep when giving breaths to remove the obstructing object

Answer 1

For an unresponsive choking infant, start CPR and check the mouth for any visible object after each set of compressions. Do not perform abdominal thrusts or a blind finger sweep. This can prevent further airway obstruction and potential asphyxia.

Step-by-step explanation:

If you find an infant who is unresponsive and you suspect they are choking, the correct action to take is to perform CPR and to look for an obstructing object in the mouth. You should not perform abdominal thrusts on an infant. Instead, if the child is conscious, you would give sets of 5 back slaps and 5 chest thrusts. If the infant becomes unresponsive, call for emergency help, begin CPR, and after each set of compressions (but before attempts to give breaths), look for the object in the mouth. If you see an object that can be easily removed, remove it, but do not perform a blind finger sweep. This could push the object further down the airway. It's important to perform these steps quickly and efficiently, as prolonged or complete choking can lead to asphyxia, which is potentially fatal.