Foreign object swallowed: First aid

If you swallow a foreign object, it usually will pass through your system without issues. Foreign objects are things that aren't meant to be eaten, such as coins, marbles and toy parts. But some objects can get stuck in the tube that connects the mouth and stomach, called the esophagus. Or they can block the airway and cause choking.

Give first aid as quickly as you can if you or someone else is choking. To be ready to help someone who swallows a foreign object, learn the Heimlich maneuver and CPR in a certified first-aid training course.

If you're the only rescuer for someone who's choking, give back blows and belly thrusts, also called abdominal thrusts, first. These abdominal thrusts are a procedure called the Heimlich maneuver. Then call 911 or your local emergency number for help. If another person is there, have that person call for help while you give first aid.

If you're alone and choking, call 911 or your local emergency number right away. Then give yourself abdominal thrusts to remove the stuck object.

If the object is stuck in your esophagus, you may need a healthcare professional to remove it. Also see your healthcare professional right away for a swallowed object that is:

• Sharp or pointed. These objects can harm the esophagus.
• A button battery. Batteries can cause severe burns and lasting harm if not removed quickly.
• A magnet. Magnets can pull, press or wear holes through the intestines. The risk of harm is higher if you swallow more than one.

If an object is stuck in your esophagus, symptoms might include:

• Pain from the throat down the middle of the chest.
• Food or drink coming back up.

If you have food stuck in the esophagus, you can try to drink something with bubbles to see if that will help it pass. Drinks with bubbles are carbonated drinks such as soda or sparkling water.

If an object blocks the airway and causes choking, give first aid.

If a choking person can cough with force, let the person keep coughing. Coughing might remove the stuck object.

If a person can't cough with force, talk, cry or laugh, give first aid to the person. The American Red Cross suggests the following steps:

• Give five back blows. Stand to the side and just behind a choking adult. For a child, kneel behind. Place your arm across the person's chest to support the person's body. Bend the person over at the waist to face the ground. Strike five times between the person's shoulder blades with the heel of your hand.
• Give five abdominal thrusts. If back blows don't remove the stuck object, give five abdominal thrusts, also known as the Heimlich maneuver.
• Keep giving five blows, then five thrusts until the object moves.

If you're the only rescuer for someone who's choking, give back blows and abdominal thrusts first. Then call 911 or your local emergency number for help. If another person is there, have that person call for help while you give first aid.

First aid for a choking person

If a person is choking and can't cough, talk, cry or laugh with force, the American Red Cross suggests this approach to giving first aid.

Some first-aid sources only teach the abdominal thrust. It's OK not to use back blows if you haven't learned how to give back blows. Both ways can work for adults and children older than age 1.

To give abdominal thrusts to someone else:

• Stand behind the person. For a child, kneel behind. Put one of your feet a little in front of the other for balance. Wrap your arms around the person's waist. Tip the person forward a bit.
• Make a fist with one hand. Put it just above the person's belly button.
• Grasp the fist with the other hand. Press into the belly, also called the abdomen, with a quick, upward thrust, as if trying to lift the person up. For a child, use gentle yet firm pressure to keep from harming the internal organs.
• Give five abdominal thrusts. Check to see if the object has moved. Repeat thrusts as needed.

If you're the only rescuer, give back blows and abdominal thrusts first. Then call 911 or your local emergency number for help. If another person is there, have that person call for help while you give first aid.

To clear the airway of a person who isn't conscious:

• Lower the person onto the floor. Keep the person's back on the floor and arms to the sides.
• Clear the airway. If you can see the object, reach a finger into the mouth to sweep out the object. Never sweep with your finger if you can't see the object because this may push the blockage deeper into the airway. This is a high risk with young children.
• Begin CPR if the person still doesn't respond. If the airway is still blocked, press on the chest with chest compressions as is done in CPR to remove the stuck object. If the airway is clear and you give rescue breaths, only use two rescue breaths a cycle. Keep checking the mouth for the object.

If the person is pregnant or if you can't get your arms around the belly, give chest thrusts:

• Put your hands on the chest. Place them at the base of the breastbone, just above where the lowest ribs come together.
• Press hard into the chest with a quick thrust. This is the same action as the Heimlich maneuver.
• Repeat until the object moves out of the airway.

If you're alone and choking:

Call 911 or your local emergency number right away. Then give yourself abdominal thrusts, also called the Heimlich maneuver, to remove the stuck object.

• Place a fist slightly above your belly button.
• Grasp your fist with the other hand.
• Bend over a hard surface such as a table or chair.
• Shove your fist inward and upward.

How to perform abdominal thrusts, also called the Heimlich maneuver, on yourself

To give yourself abdominal thrusts, also called the Heimlich maneuver, place a fist slightly above your belly button. Grasp your fist with the other hand and bend over a hard surface. Shove your fist inward and upward.