Choking: How to save a life from sudden death

To many, choking on a food or object is a simple matter, but to others, it is not. Choking has killed some people and sent many others to the hospital. In the process of trying to remove the object being choked on, it could lead to death if not properly managed. Both adults and kids […]

To many, choking on a food or object is a simple matter, but to others, it is not. Choking has killed some people and sent many others to the hospital.

In the process of trying to remove the object being choked on, it could lead to death if not properly managed.

Both adults and kids can choke on anything. It could be periwinkle, nylon, cover, uncooked beans, nuts, foil, ponmo, large chunk of meat, fish bone, coin, sweet, chewing gum, seeds of fruits, among others.

Sharing their experience on social media recently, a doctor simply known as Aproko Doctor on Twitter said a baby died recently as a result of a piece of groundnut (peanut) which entered her windpipe and blocked her airway. Her toddler sibling was trying to feed her while the mom was bathing.

Another doctor, Olabode Omomunijoye added, “We lost a baby some time ago, having been fed corn by the mother. An emergency tracheostomy was done, yet no improvement, she died in transit while referring to Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (OAUTH) Ife.

In her reaction to the issue, Oluchi Jovita confirmed that groundnut nearly killed her two years baby niece that was left under her care. The toddler has turned green and was gasping for air adding that she gave her back blow and called for help but when there was no obvious change, she was carried to a pharmacy where it was removed.

On her part, Horlayinka recounted that in 1996, her three year old kid sister swallowed a broken razor blade and it hung somewhere in her throat. She said they were both at home alone. “I sweated, screamed but help came from nowhere. We eventually managed to pull through.”

Jini Nwando related that while in her fourth year in the Pathology clinic of a medical school, a two year old child died due to asphyxiation. During the autopsy, she recollected, she was traumatised when the pathologist dislodged the groundnut sitting right there on the trachea.

In her experience, Ima Obong commented, “My immediate younger sister almost died when she was three as a result of choking on a seed of an orange that I gave her. I gave her half of the orange, the seed entered her windpipe, my mom screamed and while trying to help, she put her hand into her throat and her hand came out with blood. Thank God she didn’t eventually die.”

Lola Ikwuagwu revealed she had to have a fish bone surgically removed once. The bone got stuck from one end of her throat to the other. She said the doctor on duty at the national hospital told her that surgery was the option. Regardless of what she swallowed, be it a morsel of food or stone, it would not have dislodged it. “Learnt to stop talking while eating, the hard way.”

Lance sadly recounted how his friend in university died while eating pounded yam and ponmo. The ponmo choked him. It was at Ekiti State teaching hospital that the ponmo was removed from his windpipe after he died, he stated.

A mother, Miss Jay Okechukwu mentioned that when her baby was crawling, he put a sellotape in his mouth and started choking on the sellotape he picked up from the floor. She said she kept rubbing his back until he vomited it out.

Aproko Doctor pleaded with parents to desist from putting hands in a child’s throat when an object is choking the child just as he advised adults should also not put hands in their throat when an object is stuck there.

“Do not put your fingers into the mouth of a choking baby if you haven’t seen the object. It’s called a blind sweep. Never give an obviously choking child water to drink.”

Explaining what to do for a choking person, be it an adult or child, he announced, “Call for help. Shout! Call your neighbors while screaming like a life depends on it. Thereafter, give back blows. If it’s a baby under one year: Lay the baby face down across your laps and use the heel of your hands to give back blows.

“The back blow is done to cause a vibration that might dislodge the object blocking the airway. Use the heel of your hand. Your blows should be firm but not too hard.”

If that doesn’t work, he continued, “Lay the baby face up, feel the bone in the middle of the chest called the breastbone. Place two fingers on it and push sharply five times! Push as though you are pushing upwards and inwards. Remember that you are still calling for help if no one has shown up.”

Using another method, he suggested that, “If the child is older, like a toddler, kneel behind the child and wrap your hands around the child’s abdomen between the navel and ribs and pull sharply towards you upwards and inwards while you are behind the child.”

In his advice to individuals, a Nigerian who simply identified himself as Kola suggested that adults should chew food well enough and should not talk while eating so as to avoid exposing the windpipe and this will eventually reduce the chance of choking.