All Emergencies - Basic life support principles:

1. Maintain an airway
2. Assess breathing
3. Monitor circulation

Management:

Adult - conscious victim:

1. Ask: "Are you choking?"
2. Heimlich maneuver until foreign body is expelled or victim becomes unconscious.

Adult - victim, known obstruction, lost consciousness:

1. Activate EMS - 911 if second person is available
2. Tongue-jaw lift
3. Finger sweep to check for foreign body
4. Attempt to ventilate
5. If unable to ventilate, perform 6-10 abdominal thrusts
6. Repeat items #3-5 until effective

Adult - victim, lost consciousness, cause unknown:

1. Position patient supine, feet elevated
2. Call for help of office emergency team
3. A - Airway - head tilt, chin lift
4. B - Assess breathing (look, listen & feel)
5. Attempt to ventilate. If unsuccessful, proceed to step 6
6. Activate EMS - 911
7. Perform Heimlich maneuver - 6-10 abdominal thrusts
8. Perform foreign body check - finger sweep
9. Attempt to ventilate. If unsuccessful, repeat #7 & 8 until effective

Emesis and Aspiration of Foreign Material:

1. Position patient into Trendelenburg position - head-down tilt of at least 15 degrees
2. Call 911 - Activate EMS as soon as aspiration has been diagnosed.
3. Suction the pharynx to remove any vomitus
4. Secure the airway. Use airway device such as LT-D device as needed.
5. Administer oxygen
6. Administer IV steroids to minimize development of inflammation, edema & aspiration pneumonitis.
7. Hospitalization is usually needed for a patient who aspirated.

Airway Management - i-gel training (USA)