An 8-month-old infant suddenly becomes unable to cry or cough after choking on a piece of apple. He is conscious but has ineffective cough. Back blows have been attempted without relief. What is the correct next maneuver?
- A Abdominal thrusts (Heimlich maneuver)
- B Blind finger sweep of the oropharynx
- C Five chest thrusts ✓
- D Immediate endotracheal intubation
Correct answer: C. Five chest thrusts
Explanation
In infants with severe foreign body airway obstruction, the cycle is five back blows followed by five chest thrusts, repeated until the object is expelled or the infant becomes unconscious. Abdominal thrusts are contraindicated under 1 year because they injure the liver and spleen, and blind finger sweeps can impact the object deeper, which kills the two most tempting distractors.
Reference: PALS Provider Manual, American Heart Association, 2020 ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.