BLS Choking 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An infant is choking and becomes unresponsive. What is your next step?
- Continue back blows and chest thrusts
- Begin CPR starting with chest compressions (Correct answer)
- Call 911 and wait for help
- Perform abdominal thrusts
Correct answer: Begin CPR starting with chest compressions
When an infant becomes unresponsive due to choking, begin CPR starting with 30 chest compressions, looking for the object before giving breaths.
Question 2: Which technique is NEVER appropriate for relieving choking in an infant?
- Back blows
- Chest thrusts
- Abdominal thrusts (Correct answer)
- Checking the mouth for visible objects
Correct answer: Abdominal thrusts
Abdominal thrusts (Heimlich maneuver) should never be used on infants because it can damage their fragile abdominal organs.
Question 3: A pregnant woman is choking and conscious. Where should you deliver thrusts?
- Abdomen, below the navel
- Abdomen, above the navel
- Chest, at the center of the breastbone (Correct answer)
- Upper back only
Correct answer: Chest, at the center of the breastbone
For pregnant patients, chest thrusts are delivered at the center of the breastbone instead of abdominal thrusts to avoid harming the fetus.
Question 4: When performing back blows on a choking infant, the infant should be held:
- Face-up on your forearm with head higher than chest
- Face-down on your forearm with head lower than chest (Correct answer)
- Upright against your chest
- Flat on a firm surface
Correct answer: Face-down on your forearm with head lower than chest
The infant should be held face-down on your forearm with the head lower than the chest to use gravity to help dislodge the object.
Question 5: A toddler is coughing forcefully after partially swallowing a grape. You should:
- Perform abdominal thrusts immediately
- Encourage continued coughing and stay close (Correct answer)
- Give 5 back blows right away
- Sweep your finger through the mouth to remove the object
Correct answer: Encourage continued coughing and stay close
A forceful cough is the most effective way to clear a partial airway obstruction; do not interfere and monitor closely.
Question 6: How many back blows should be delivered between sets of chest thrusts when treating a choking infant?
- 2
- 3
- 5 (Correct answer)
- 10
Correct answer: 5
The BLS protocol for infants calls for alternating 5 back blows with 5 chest thrusts until the object is expelled or the infant becomes unresponsive.
Question 7: You are alone and choking. The most effective self-help technique is to:
- Lean forward and cough as hard as possible, then thrust your upper abdomen against a hard edge (Correct answer)
- Lie flat on the floor and wait for help
- Drink water to dislodge the object
- Strike your own back repeatedly
Correct answer: Lean forward and cough as hard as possible, then thrust your upper abdomen against a hard edge
Forceful coughing combined with thrusting your abdomen against a chair back or countertop edge can mimic the Heimlich maneuver when alone.
BLS Choking 2
An infant is choking and becomes unresponsive.
What is your next step?