First Aid FREE First Aid Choking and Airway Emergencies Questions and Answers 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An infant is showing signs of severe choking and cannot cry or breathe. What is the correct first step?
- Call 911 immediately and wait
- Give 5 back blows between the shoulder blades (Correct answer)
- Perform abdominal thrusts
- Lay the infant flat and open the airway
Correct answer: Give 5 back blows between the shoulder blades
For a severely choking infant, you begin with 5 back blows delivered between the shoulder blades using the heel of your hand.
Question 2: Which of the following is a late sign of severe airway obstruction in an adult?
- Mild coughing
- High-pitched stridor or silent breathing (Correct answer)
- Throat clearing
- Mild throat discomfort
Correct answer: High-pitched stridor or silent breathing
High-pitched stridor or complete silence with no airflow indicates a severe, life-threatening airway obstruction.
Question 3: After successfully dislodging an object from a choking victim who then becomes unresponsive, what should you do next?
- Continue abdominal thrusts
- Begin CPR starting with chest compressions (Correct answer)
- Place the victim in the recovery position
- Perform a blind finger sweep
Correct answer: Begin CPR starting with chest compressions
If a choking victim loses consciousness, you immediately begin CPR starting with chest compressions, which can help expel the object.
Question 4: A pregnant woman is choking and a bystander cannot perform abdominal thrusts effectively. What alternative technique should be used?
- Back blows only
- Chest thrusts instead of abdominal thrusts (Correct answer)
- Finger sweeps
- Head-tilt chin-lift maneuver
Correct answer: Chest thrusts instead of abdominal thrusts
Chest thrusts are used in place of abdominal thrusts for pregnant women or individuals who are significantly obese.
Question 5: When performing abdominal thrusts on a conscious choking adult, where should you position your fist?
- Below the navel
- Above the navel and well below the xiphoid process (Correct answer)
- On the sternum
- At the lower rib cage
Correct answer: Above the navel and well below the xiphoid process
The fist is placed just above the navel and well below the xiphoid process to avoid internal injury while generating sufficient upward force.
Question 6: What does the universal sign of choking look like?
- Waving both arms overhead
- Clutching the throat with one or both hands (Correct answer)
- Pointing to the mouth
- Placing a hand on the chest
Correct answer: Clutching the throat with one or both hands
The universal sign of choking is clutching one or both hands to the throat, signaling to bystanders that the airway is obstructed.
First Aid FREE First Aid Choking and Airway Emergencies Questions and Answers 2
An infant is showing signs of severe choking and cannot cry or breathe.
What is the correct first step?