The Dechoker is a life saving device which can be used for choking first aid on anyone, regardles of age, illness, disorder or other health-related condition. The Dechoker comes in three sizes designed to help an adult, child, or toddler in the case of a choking emergency

Description of Choking

An obstructed (blocked) airway is a medical emergency that requires immediate aid by the closest responder. This situation can occur due to:

1. Food during eating (most common)
2. Foreign object that is being chewed/placed in mouth
3. Trauma to the mouth/neck region
4. Internal swelling during an allergic reaction
5. Other medical conditions preventing air from reaching the lungs

Signs and Symptoms

The universal sign that most people will display is clutching at the throat with both hands. Additional active indicators include panic, the inability to cough, blue/gray color of the lips and/or mouth, and the inability to speak. Without intervention, a person will become unconscious in a matter of minutes, will experience significant brain damage near 10 minutes, and will likely die shortly thereafter.

How To Use The Dechoker

1. Remove the dechoker from the package and pull the handle twice to ensure the internal lubrication is properly dispersed along the length of the tube. The handle should then be returned to the fully depressed position before use.
2. With the person needing aid laying on their back, tilt their head up with the chin up for direct access to the airway. This is similar to the position used for mouth to mouth air support.
3. Identify the proper placement position of the dechoker. You will easily see the indentation for the nose on the respirator face cap. Also, the tube should be facing down and away from the nose indentation. These two landmarks will clearly guide how the dechoker should be place upon the mouth and nose region of the person needing aid.
4. Insert the tube into mouth, respirator face cap covering the mouth and nose. Firm contact between the respirator cap portion and the person needing aid is essential to maintain a tight seal. The dechoker uses suction pressure to remove a foreign object in the airway. The force of this suction is directly related to how properly a uniform seal is made where the cap is pressed around the mouth and nose. Specifically, use your non-dominant hand to hold the respirator face cap against the person’s face by applying your thumb at the bottom of the chin and then separating two fingers on either side of the respirator tube. Extremely Important: The First Responder should make sure to place light but constant pressure to maintain this all-important seal for 3 second intervals. Audibly count loudly “One thousand One, One Thousand Two, One Thousand Three” when the respirator face cap is covering the mouth and nose so that it is clear when to remove (after the three second count) and then reposition the face cap.
5. While applying light, constant pressure, use your dominant hand to pull up on the plunger with a smooth, quick motion. This will likely dislodge the object and open the airway, so it is important to stay focused on the person’s reactions and ability to suddenly breathe. When the object becomes dislodged, roll the person on their side and assist them as needed to fully evacuate the airway/mouth of the obstruction. Additional considerations:
   1. The pressure valve on the dechoker allows for multiple handle pulls to be performed during one episode of respirator face cap placement. This may be needed in cases when a single handle pull will not clear the airway.
   2. During the handle pull, the suction that is created may cause the obstruction to be instantly removed and adhere to the end of the tube, preventing the handle from being pulled further. Immediately remove the face cap and examine both the person and airway to see if further treatment is needed.
6. Repeat the placement of the respirator face cap, pulling of the handle, and examination of the person needing aid until the airway is cleared. If the patient becomes unresponsive or unconscious, begin performing CPR and consider if Technique 3 is appropriate.

Choking Statistics (US-based):

• A choking death occurs every two hours.
• One child dies every 5 days from choking.
• Choking causes 100,000+ visits to the ER yearly.
• Choking is a leading cause of death in persons over 65.
• Over 100 million Americans have no defense against choking due to pregnancy, disability, obesity or being alone.
• More people die from choking than die in fires, non-fire related carbon monoxide poisoning, drowning or accidental shootings.

The content of this article was provided courtesy of Dechoker