An 8-month old infant is choking and unable to cry; the infant is responsive with a severe airway obstruction. How do you relieve the airway obstruction?

• A. Wait for EMS before acting
• B. Remove the object with finger sweep
• C. Give sets of 5 back slaps and 5 chest thrusts
• D. Perform abdominal thrusts

Answer: (C)

When an infant with severe airway obstruction is responsive, relief comes from a sequence of back blows and chest thrusts. This approach uses external forces to dislodge the object without risking abdominal injury, which is why abdominal thrusts aren’t used in infants under one year.

Begin with the infant supported face-down along your forearm, with the head lower than the chest and the neck supported. Deliver five firm back blows between the shoulder blades with the heel of your hand. If the obstruction persists, turn the infant over and place two or three fingers on the lower half of the sternum to give five chest thrusts. Alternate these two maneuvers—five back blows, then five chest thrusts—until the object is expelled or rescue care arrives.

If the infant becomes unresponsive, start CPR and check the mouth for the object before giving breaths; remove it only if you can clearly see and safely retrieve it. Avoid blind finger sweeps.