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Foreign Object Inhaled: First Aid
By Matt Unangst, 04 Mar 12:20
Foreign objects can cause great damage to your respiratory system, so you should see a doctor immediately if you inhale one.
The foreign object may cause choking before the person choking can receive medical attention. In such a case, you should use the “five and five” method of first aid. Use the heel of your hand to strike the person five times between the shoulder blades. Follow this with five abdominal thrusts (Heimlich maneuver). Alternate these two techniques until the object is removed.
To perform the Heimlich maneuver on another person, stand behind the person and tip him/her slightly forward. Wrap your arms around the waist of the person. Form one of your hands into a fist and place the fist just above the person’s navel. Grab the first with your other hand and thrust upwards into the abdomen hard and quickly, as though you were trying to lift the person.
You may have to perform the Heimlich maneuver on yourself. Begin by forming a fist and placing it just above your navel. Grab the first with your other hand and bend over a hard surface, such as a countertop, to provide leverage for an upward thrust.
Perform the five and five first aid before calling for medical attention if you are the only person around to help. If you are not the only person, have someone else call 911 while you perform first aid.
Tags: first aid, nose, foreign object