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Civilian Emergency Platform
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — A person who swallowed or inhaled a small object — button battery, bead, coin, or toy piece — and now has throat pain, coughing, wheezing, or trouble breathing.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — NOT EXPERT REVIEWED — NOT FOR PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Complete blockage: Cannot speak, cough, or breathe — use choking rescue immediately.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Partial blockage: Can breathe but has persistent cough, wheeze, drooling, or feeling of something stuck.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Button battery swallowed: Drooling, vomiting, chest or belly pain — emergency even if breathing seems okay.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Child who suddenly refuses to eat or drink after playing with small items.
Scene hazards: Small objects still within reach of children, Delayed care for batteries
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Ask: "Can you breathe and speak?" — determines choking rescue vs. urgent call.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — If severe choking — start back blows and appropriate thrusts for their age.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — If breathing — call 112 and identify the object if possible.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Keep them sitting upright and calm — lying flat can worsen breathing.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Look in the mouth only if they are old enough and you can see the object clearly — swipe it out with a finger. If not visible, do not probe.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — For button battery — tell 112 immediately. Do not wait.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Monitor breathing continuously — partial blockage can become complete.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Call 112. Say: "Small object stuck in airway/throat" and name the object if known.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — For button battery: "Child swallowed a button battery — need emergency care now."
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Describe breathing status, age, and time since ingestion.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Button batteries and magnets in the airway or esophagus are emergencies — hospital removal within hours.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Any persistent foreign body sensation, worsening cough, or breathing difficulty needs imaging and professional removal.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Do NOT give bread, banana, or other food to "push it down."
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Do NOT blindly finger-sweep the throat.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Do NOT assume a swallowed coin will pass safely without medical advice — size and location matter.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Do NOT induce vomiting unless directed by emergency services.
MYTH: DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — If they can still breathe, the object will pass on its own — just wait
REALITY: DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Some objects cause swelling, infection, or burns over time. Button batteries can erode tissue within 2 hours.
DANGER: DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Waiting turns a removable object into a life-threatening injury.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — A small object may be lodged in the throat, windpipe, or esophagus. Some objects (especially button batteries) cause chemical burns within hours.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Partial blockage — person can breathe and cough but feels something stuck. Complete blockage — silent choking, treat as P0 choking.