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Choking - adult or child over 1 year

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment
• Prevention

Alternative Names:

Heimlich maneuver - adult or child over 1 year

Symptoms:

The universal distress signal for choking is grabbing the throat with the hand.

Other danger signs include:

• Inability to speak
• Weak, ineffective coughing
• Noisy breathing or high-pitched sounds while inhaling
• Difficulty breathing
• Bluish skin color
• Loss of consciousness if blockage is not cleared

References:

Murray, JF. Textbook of Respiratory Medicine . 3rd Ed. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders; 2000.

Marx JA, Hockberger RS, Walls RM, eds. Rosen’s Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice . 5th Ed. St. Louis, MO: Mosby; 2002.

• Review Date: 1/16/2007
• Reviewed By: Eric Perez, MD, Department of Emergency Medicine, St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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