Food or small objects can cause choking if they get caught in your throat and block your airway. This keeps oxygen from getting to your lungs and brain. If your brain goes without oxygen for more than four minutes, you could have brain damage or die.
Young children are at an especially high risk of choking. They can choke on foods like hot dogs, nuts and grapes, and on small objects like toy pieces and coins. Keep hazards out of their reach and supervise them when they eat.
When someone is choking, quick action can be lifesaving. Learn how to do the Heimlich maneuver - on others and yourself - and CPR.
Food and Drug Administration
- Choking: First Aid(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/first-aid-choking/FA00025/METHOD=print
- Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR): First Aid(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/first-aid-cpr/FA00061/METHOD=print
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Household Safety: Preventing Choking(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/firstaid_safe/home/safety_choking.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/parent/en_espanol/padres/safety_choking_esp.html
- Foreign Object Inhaled: First Aid(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/first-aid/FA00064/METHOD=print
- Foreign Object Swallowed: First Aid(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/first-aid/FA00059/METHOD=print
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Learn CPR You Can Do It!(University of Washington, School of Medicine) - http://depts.washington.edu/learncpr/
Also available in Spanish http://depts.washington.edu/learncpr/spanish/
- Choking Adult Video Demonstration(University of Washington, School of Medicine) - http://depts.washington.edu/learncpr/videodemo/choking-adult-video.html
- Choking Child Video Demonstration(University of Washington, School of Medicine) - http://depts.washington.edu/learncpr/videodemo/choking-child-video.html
- Choking Infant Video Demonstration(University of Washington, School of Medicine) - http://depts.washington.edu/learncpr/videodemo/choking-infant-video.html
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Ventilation strategies in the obstructed airway in a bench model... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19372339&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Should FEV1/FEV6 replace FEV1/FVC ratio to detect airway obstruction? A... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19349398&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Repeated episodes of respiratory distress in an obese parturient after... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19299795&tool=MedlinePlus
- Choking -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=airway+obstruction[majr:noexp]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+english[la]+AND+(review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+jsubsetaim[text]+OR+jsubsetk[text]+OR+jsubsetn[text])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
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American Red Cross - http://www.redcross.org/
Also available in Spanish http://www.cruzrojaamericana.org/
- Consumer Product Safety Commission - http://www.cpsc.gov/
- Airway Obstruction(Safe Kids Worldwide) - http://www.usa.safekids.org/tier3_cd.cfm?folder_id=540&content_item_id=991
- Choking Episodes among Children(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/duip/spotlite/choking.htm
- Choking(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/watch/er/choking.html
- Choking Prevention(American Academy of Pediatrics) - http://www.aap.org/publiced/br_choking.htm
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Choosing Safe Toys(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/growth/learning/safe_toys.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/parent/en_espanol/seguridad/safe_toys_esp.html
- CPR: A Real Lifesaver(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/watch/er/cpr.html
- Prevent Your Child from Choking(Food and Drug Administration) - http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2005/505_choking.html
- Strings and Straps on Toys Can Strangle Young Children(Consumer Product Safety Commission) - http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/5100.html
- Suffocation Danger Associated With Children's Balloons(Consumer Product Safety Commission) - http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/5087.html
- Risky Business: The Choking Game(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) - http://family.samhsa.gov/monitor/choking_game.aspx
- Injuries and Wounds - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/injuriesandwounds.html
- Lungs and Breathing - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/lungsandbreathing.html
- Symptoms - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/symptoms.html