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Choking (adult)

Clearing a blocked airway in a responsive adult.

In an emergency, call your emergency number first — 112 across the EU. This is general information, not a substitute for hands-on first-aid training or professional medical care. If you are unsure, call for help and follow the dispatcher's instructions.

When to use this

Use when someone suddenly cannot speak, cough or breathe, often clutching the throat, while still conscious.

Step by step

1. Ask "Are you choking?" If they can cough, speak or breathe, encourage them to keep coughing.
2. If the cough is silent or ineffective, lean them forward and give up to 5 sharp back blows between the shoulder blades with the heel of your hand.
3. If that does not clear it, give up to 5 abdominal thrusts: stand behind, place a fist just above the navel, grasp it with the other hand and pull sharply inward and upward.
4. Alternate 5 back blows and 5 abdominal thrusts until the object clears.
5. If they become unresponsive, call 112 and begin CPR, starting with chest compressions.

What not to do

• Do not use abdominal thrusts on a pregnant person or infant — use chest thrusts instead.
• Do not do a blind finger sweep in the mouth.

Emergency numbers

112 reaches emergency services across the European Union and much of the world, often even without a SIM or signal from your own network. Some countries keep additional local numbers.

Other first-aid guides

Source: Steps paraphrase widely-accepted guidance from bodies such as the European Resuscitation Council and national Red Cross societies. General information, not a substitute for training. · checked 2026-09-04

Frequently asked questions