If you see a child choking on food, you would begin the Heimlich maneuver immediately.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Call EMS first
• D. Back blows only first

Answer: (B)

When a child is choking, the first action is to try to clear the airway with back blows. For a conscious child older than 1 year, you would deliver five back blows between the shoulder blades, then follow with five abdominal thrusts if the object hasn’t come out, repeating the cycle until the airway is clear or the child becomes unresponsive. The Heimlich maneuver (abdominal thrusts) is not the immediate first step; starting with back blows gives a safer, proven method to dislodge the blockage. If the child becomes unresponsive, call for emergency help and begin CPR with rescue breaths. For infants under 1 year, you would use back blows and chest/ thrusts instead of abdominal thrusts. So the statement is not correct because you don’t jump straight to the Heimlich; you start with back blows and proceed as needed.