Acute upper airway obstruction

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Choking

Respiratory system

Throat anatomy

Airway obstruction - acute upper; Choking

If the victim has a complete obstruction and is unable to speak or breathe, the Heimlich maneuver may be lifesaving. Treatment depends on the cause of the blockage. Objects lodged in the airway may be removed with a laryngoscope or bronchoscope. A tube may be inserted into the airway (endotracheal tube or nasotracheal tube). Sometimes an opening is made directly into the airway (tracheostomy or cricothyrotomy).

Prompt treatment is often successful. However, the condition is dangerous and may be fatal, even if treated.

Inability to relieve the obstruction can cause breathing failure, brain damage, or death.

Airway obstruction is an extreme emergency. It is a good idea to learn to clear an airway of a foreign body by using a method such as the Heimlich maneuver. Diseases in which airway obstruction develops over a period of hours will allow time to get to a hospital. If an acute airway obstruction occurs, call 911 or your local emergency number for medical help, and use what knowledge and materials you have to maintain breathing until medical help arrives.

Review Date: 08/03/2005
Reviewed By: Alden J. Pearl M.D., Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Otolaryngology, State University of New York Health Science Center at Brooklyn, Brooklyn, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.