Sad! A 16-year-old boy died after drinking bubble tea! Learn this trick, it can save lives at critical moments

Sad! On July 24, a 16-year-old boy in Sichuan lost consciousness after drinking milk tea and choked on a pearl. He died despite failed rescue efforts. For foreign body choking, it is very important to master the correct first aid knowledge and methods.

What foreign objects can easily cause suffocation?

So-called foreign bodies are usually common things in our lives.

5. **For children, **common “foreign objects” such as grapes, jellies, peanuts, coins, buttons, melon seeds, and batteries are all dangerous [1].
6. **For adults, **if they are not careful, fish bones, chicken bones, rice balls and other foods may get stuck in their throats while eating, causing suffocation.
7. **For the elderly,** glutinous rice balls, wontons, dentures, phlegm crusts, etc. can also cause suffocation [1]. What are the symptoms of foreign body suffocation?

A common symptom of foreign body asphyxiation is difficulty breathing, as if someone is choking you.

If the foreign body is too large and completely blocks the trachea, the person will experience symptoms such as being unable to speak, being unable to cough, purple lips and a blue face, and in severe cases, may even lose consciousness.

The patient is already in a very dangerous situation at this time, and the heart may stop beating at any time, and it may be too late to send him to the hospital. If there are people around who know the correct first aid method, they may be able to save a life in a critical situation.

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The most reliable first aid method: Heimlich abdominal thrust

**Wrong first aid methods: **When choking by foreign objects occurs, many people will slap the patient's back to try to get him to spit out the foreign object, or directly put their hands into the patient's throat to try to pick out the foreign object. These methods are not only ineffective, but may also be counterproductive.

Effective first aid method: "Heimlich abdominal thrust".

If someone is choking on a foreign object, first aid should be given immediately. You can choose to use the standard Heimlich abdominal thrust, or you can choose other methods depending on the patient's age and condition.

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Standard Heimlich abdominal thrust

The rescuer needs to stand behind the patient, insert one leg between the patient's legs to form a lunge, and keep stable. Hold the patient with both hands, make a fist with one hand, and point the fist two fingers above the patient's navel. Make a fist with the other hand, and use both hands to push upward to the patient's abdomen at a faster speed, as if to lift the patient up, and keep pushing until the foreign body is expelled.

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Self-rescue Heimlich abdominal thrust

If there is no one else around the patient, start self-help before the patient loses consciousness.

The specific method is: make a fist with one hand, with the knuckle pointing two fingers above the navel, and make a fist with the other hand. Lean forward and press the body against a hard object, such as a table, chair back, or bedside, using the hard object to push against the fist and impact the abdomen until the foreign body is expelled [1].

Rescue for pregnant women and obese patients

If the patient is pregnant or obese, the abdomen should not be impacted. Instead, the fist should be moved upwards, with the fist pointing to the center of the bottom of the sternum, slightly higher than the bottom rib. Then, the patient's chest should be impacted forcefully in the same way as the abdomen until the foreign body is expelled [1].

Rescuing an unconscious patient

When the patient loses consciousness and cannot stand, let the patient lie flat on his back. The rescuer overlaps his hands, points the base of his palms to the patient's navel two fingers above, and quickly and forcefully pushes upward. After five consecutive pushes, check whether there is any foreign body in the patient's mouth. If there is any foreign body, clean it up immediately; if not, continue to repeat the above steps until the foreign body is expelled.

If the unconscious patient is a pregnant woman or is obese, place the base of your palm at the center of the bottom of the sternum and forcefully impact the patient's chest. After 5 impacts, stop and check. If any foreign body is expelled, clean it up immediately. If the foreign body is not expelled, repeat the previous operation. Repeat this process until the foreign body is expelled.

If the above steps are ineffective, cardiopulmonary resuscitation should be performed on the patient immediately[1].

Rescue for infants under 3 years old

If an infant under 3 years old is suffocated by a foreign object blocking his trachea, the rescuer should sit down, fix his forearm on his thigh, let the baby lie face down on his forearm, and pat the middle of the baby's back gently and steadily with the base of his other palm for 5 times.

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If this method does not work, turn the infant over so that he or she is lying face down on your forearms and use 2 fingers to squeeze the center of the infant's breastbone 5 times.

If the infant or child has not resumed breathing, repeat the above two steps alternately. If the airway is clear but still not breathing, perform CPR. Then seek medical attention immediately.

Rescue for children over 3 years old

The technique and position refer to the standard Heimlich abdominal impact method, but be careful not to lift the patient off the ground when impacting the abdomen upward and backward, so as not to affect the effect of the impact.

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Notice

The Heimlich maneuver itself may cause some harm. After providing rescue on the spot, for safety reasons, even if the patient's condition improves and the foreign body is coughed out, it is best to go to the hospital for a check-up to confirm whether the foreign body is completely expelled and whether there are other hidden dangers in the body. This is especially true for the elderly and children.

References:

[1] Guo Shubin, ed. Practical Family Emergency Handbook. Beijing: Chinese Medical Electronic Audio-visual Publishing House, 2021: 40-43.

[2] Zhang Wenwu, ed. Emergency Medicine (4th edition). Beijing: People's Medical Publishing House, 2017.

[3] Jia Dacheng. First aid, one step faster than the doctor. Tianjin: Tianjin Science and Technology Press, 2019.

Author: Ma Shuai Beijing Chaoyang Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University

This article was reviewed by: Guo Shubin, Chief Physician, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University

Source: Chengdu Business Daily, Chinese Medical Association Science Popularization Department‍

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