Choking Flashcard 2
Rationale
A. Rationale: A choking infant usually presents with increased respiratory effort such as nasal flaring, grunting, wheezing, rib retractions, change in skin color due to obstructed airways called cyanosis, and in severe cases, altered level of consciousness. The infant may become drowsy or lose consciousness.
Question
What are the signs of an infant choking?
a. An increased respiratory effort such as nasal flaring, grunting or wheezing, change in color to a bluish shade, and altered level of consciousness
b. Inconsolable crying with increased respiratory efforts such as grunting, nausea, and vomiting
c. Increased respiratory effort, including nasal flaring, grunting, neck retractions, panicked look in their faces, unable to talk, hand gestures towards the throat because they are unable to speak, and a tripod or sniffing position
d. Fever, cyanosis, fatigue, and wheezing
Answer
a. An increased respiratory effort such as nasal flaring, grunting or wheezing, change in color to a bluish shade, and altered level of consciousness
Rationale
B. Rationale: An adult who is choking will have a panicked look, increased respiratory effort as evidenced by nasal flaring, grunting, neck retractions, be unable to speak, make hand gestures towards the throat, and will hunch over to a tripod or sniffing position.
Question
What are the signs of choking in adults?
a. Increased respiratory effort, including nasal flaring, grunting, neck retractions, seizures, and loss of consciousness
b. Increased respiratory effort, including nasal flaring, grunting, neck retractions, a panicked look in their faces, unable to talk, hand gestures towards the throat because they are unable to speak, and a tripod or sniffing position
c. Inconsolable crying with increased respiratory efforts such as grunting, nausea, and vomiting
d. Fever, cyanosis, fatigue, and wheezing
Answer
b. Increased respiratory effort, including nasal flaring, grunting, neck retractions, a panicked look in their faces, unable to talk, hand gestures towards the throat because they are unable to speak, and a tripod or sniffing position
Rationale
A. Rationale: The café coronary syndrome is commonly seen in older individuals with difficulty chewing. When they encounter a tough piece of meat during their meals, they may not be able to chew it well, and this can cause fatal choking.
Question
What is café coronary syndrome?
a. Fatal choking caused by incompletely chewed meat
b. Fatal choking caused by chicken bones
c. Fatal choking caused by inhaled liquids
d. There is no such thing as a café coronary syndrome
Answer
a. Fatal choking caused by incompletely chewed meat
Rationale
D. Rationale: The first thing that a lay rescuer should do to help a choking infant patient is to confirm the diagnosis by following the signs of choking, once confirmed, have someone call EMS, then immediately perform 5 back slaps, if the obstruction persists, turn the infant over and perform 5 chest thrusts, look inside the infant’s mouth to check if the obstruction has been dislodged and retrieve the object: if an object is not found and the patient continues to choke, perform 2 rescue breaths.
Question
What is the correct order of steps for helping a choking infant?
a. Perform 5 back slaps; if the obstruction persists, perform 5 chest thrusts; confirm if the infant is choking; look inside the infant’s mouth to check if the obstruction has been dislodged, and retrieve the object. If an object cannot be visualized and the patient continues to choke, give 2 rescue breaths and have someone call EMS.
b. Perform 5 chest thrusts; confirm if the infant is choking; if the obstruction persists, perform 5 back slaps; have someone call EMS; look inside the infant’s mouth to check if the obstruction has been dislodged and retrieve the object. If you do not see an object and the patient continues to choke, give 2 rescue breaths.
c. Confirm if the patient is choking; perform 5 back slaps; if the obstruction persists, perform 5 chest thrusts; look inside the infant’s mouth to check if the obstruction has been dislodged, and retrieve the object. If an object is not visualized and the patient continues to choke, give 2 rescue breaths and have someone call EMS.
d. Confirm if the patient is choking, have someone call EMS, perform 5 back slaps, if the obstruction persists, perform 5 chest thrusts, look inside the infant’s mouth to check if the obstruction has been dislodged, and retrieve the object. If you do not see an object and the patient continues to choke, give 2 rescue breaths.
Answer
d. Confirm if the patient is choking, have someone call EMS, perform 5 back slaps, if the obstruction persists, perform 5 chest thrusts, look inside the infant’s mouth to check if the obstruction has been dislodged, and retrieve the object. If you do not see an object and the patient continues to choke, give 2 rescue breaths.
Rationale
D. Rationale: Do not attempt to use fingers or any object to blindly sweep inside the infant’s mouth and feel for the obstruction as this might push the foreign body further into the infant’s airway.
Question
What is the correct statement regarding doing a blind sweep in a choking infant patient?
a. It is recommended to do a blind sweep to find the object causing airway obstruction.
b. Blind sweeps inside the infant’s mouth to feel for the obstruction can be done using your finger or a tongue depressor.
c. Never perform a blind sweep to feel for the obstruction to avoid your finger getting bitten by the infant.
d. Never perform a blind sweep to feel for the obstruction as this might push the foreign body further into the infant’s airway.
Answer
d. Never perform a blind sweep to feel for the obstruction as this might push the foreign body further into the infant’s airway.
Rationale
C. Rationale: The recommended head position for performing back slaps and chest thrusts is head down at a 45-degree angle.
Question
What is the recommended head position for performing back slaps and chest thrusts on a choking infant?
a. Keep the infant’s head down at a 30-degree angle.
b. Keep the infant’s head up at a 30-degree angle.
c. Keep the infant’s head down at a 45-degree angle.
d. Keep the infant’s head up at a 45-degree angle.
Answer
c. Keep the infant’s head down at a 45-degree angle.
Rationale
B. Rationale: Irrigation helps to wash out foreign bodies from the eye.
Question
What is the recommended intervention when removing small foreign bodies in the eye?
a. Manual removal with tweezers
b. Irrigation with sterile 0.9% NaCl solution
c. Have the ED physicians remove it
d. Lift the foreign body using a small syringe
Answer
b. Irrigation with sterile 0.9% NaCl solution
Rationale
D. Rationale: Perform the Heimlich maneuver or abdominal thrusts to help dislodge the foreign body causing an airway obstruction.
Question
What maneuver should you do to help a choking adult?
a. Doll’s eye maneuver
b. Lachman maneuver
c. Head tilt-chin lift
d. Heimlich maneuver
Answer
d. Heimlich maneuver
Rationale
A. Rationale: Since the rescuer cannot wrap their arms around the abdomen of an obese patient, and the baby is occupying the abdomen of the pregnant patient, the rescuer should convert to the modified Heimlich maneuver, positioning their arms around the patient’s chest.
Question
What special consideration or adjustment must the rescuer make to assist a choking patient who is obese or pregnant?
a. The rescuer must wrap their arms around the patient’s chest, thrusting the fist about 2 inches posteriorly and squeezing the patient’s thorax.
b. The rescuer must wrap their arms around the patient’s hips, thrusting the fist about 2 inches posteriorly and squeezing the patient’s abdomen.
c. The rescuer lays the patient down on her back and initiates CPR.
d. The rescuer must wrap their arms around the patient’s neck and squeeze.
Answer
a. The rescuer must wrap their arms around the patient’s chest, thrusting the fist about 2 inches posteriorly and squeezing the patient’s thorax.
Rationale
A. Rationale: The most common signs and symptoms of a foreign body inside the ear are transudative or exudative fluid coming out of the affected ear and ear pain. Increased ear pressure and tinnitus (ringing in the ears) are not common.
Question
When a patient has a foreign body inside the ear, what is a common sign or symptom?
a. Foul-smelling fluid coming out of the ear
b. Increased ear pressure
c. Tinnitus
d. All of the above findings
Answer
a. Foul-smelling fluid coming out of the ear