Choking Safety & CPR Fact Sheet
Choking safety & CPR fact sheet
A choking person cannot call for help — they cannot speak, cough, or breathe. What you do in the next sixty seconds decides the outcome. Keep this sheet where your team, your family, or your care staff can reach it.
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~5,000
Americans die from choking each year — the 4th leading cause of unintentional injury death. -
5,529
Choking deaths recorded in the U.S. in 2023, with older adults at the highest risk. -
Food
The most common cause, especially among older adults and young children.
How to recognize choking
Choking is silent. Look for these signs before you ask any questions — someone who can cough forcefully still has an open airway.
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Universal signHands clutched at the throat
One or both hands gripping the neck. Treat it as choking until proven otherwise — act, don’t wait for confirmation.
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Can’t speak
No voice, no words, no forceful cough.
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No air moving
High-pitched wheeze on inhale, or no sound at all.
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Color change
Lips, face, or fingertips turning blue or gray.
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Panic, then collapse
Wide eyes and distress, followed by loss of consciousness if the airway is not cleared.
The response sequence
Adult or child over one year old. Ask “Are you choking?” and get consent to help if the person is responsive.
Responsive & choking
Adult / child over 1 year
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01
Let them cough
If they can still cough forcefully, stand by and encourage it. A strong cough clears an object better than anything you can do.
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02
5 back blows
If they cannot breathe, speak, or cough: lean them forward and strike firmly between the shoulder blades with the heel of your hand.
Send someone to call 911 now
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03
5 abdominal thrusts
Stand behind them, fist just above the navel, and thrust inward and upward. Known as the Heimlich maneuver.
Use chest thrusts instead if the person is pregnant or too large to reach around.
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04
Repeat the cycle
Keep alternating 5 back blows and 5 abdominal thrusts until the object comes out or the person stops responding.
If they become unresponsive
Lower them to the floor, make sure 911 has been called, and start CPR — chest compressions can force the object out and keep blood moving to the brain.
Push 100–120 / min
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05
30 chest compressions
Center of the chest, heel of the hand, about 2 inches deep. Let the chest come all the way back up between each push.
Compressions, uninterrupted -
06
Look in the mouth
Before giving breaths, check for the object. Remove it only if you can see it and sweep it out — never blindly, which can push it deeper.
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07
2 rescue breaths, if trained
Tilt the head, lift the chin, and give two breaths. If you are untrained or unwilling, keep doing compressions only — that still saves lives.
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08
Do not stop
Continue until the person breathes on their own, an AED or EMS takes over, or you physically cannot continue.
Keep 911 on the line
Infants under 1 year: never use abdominal thrusts
Support the baby face-down along your forearm, head lower than the chest, and give 5 back blows between the shoulder blades. Turn them face-up and give 5 chest thrusts with two fingers on the breastbone. Repeat until the airway clears or the infant stops responding, then begin infant CPR and call 911.
Who is most at risk
- Adults over 65
- Young children, especially under age 4
- People with swallowing or neurological disorders
- Anyone drinking alcohol while eating
- People eating quickly, distracted, or unsupervised
How to prevent it
- Cut food into small pieces for children and older adults
- Avoid talking or laughing with food in the mouth
- Keep coins, batteries, and small toys away from young children
- Supervise meals for anyone with swallowing difficulty
- Get certified in CPR and choking response — and refresh it
Quick action turns a fatal emergency into a survival story.
Educational Director & Trainer, Moving Forward, Inc.
Know CPR. Be the reason someone gets a second chance.
Moving Forward, Inc. delivers certified CPR, AED, and choking response training for workplaces, schools, care facilities, and families.
- EmailInfo@MovingForwardusa.org
- Webwww.MovingForwardusa.org
- Office786-754-9290
- Mobile407-484-7727
In an emergency, call 911 first. This fact sheet is public awareness information based on American Heart Association and American Red Cross guidance. It is not medical advice and does not replace hands-on certification — techniques such as abdominal thrusts and chest compressions must be practiced with a certified instructor to be performed safely.