High School Health Practice Exam

When someone is choking, the aim is to generate a strong, sudden burst of air to push the object out of the airway. Abdominal thrusts do this by applying quick pressure to the abdomen just below the ribcage. That upward push increases pressure in the chest and lungs, producing a forceful cough powerful enough to expel the blockage from the throat. This direct, targeted action makes it the most effective immediate remedy for a conscious choking person.

General First Aid is a broad approach to care and isn’t a specific maneuver to clear an airway obstruction. Shock is a condition that can result from choking but isn’t something you perform to relieve the blockage. Rescue breathing provides air to someone who isn’t breathing but doesn’t clear a choking obstruction, so it doesn’t address the immediate blockage in a conscious person. If the person becomes unresponsive, stop and call for help, then start CPR.