How can you help a choking adult who is conscious?

The correct approach to assisting a conscious adult who is choking is to administer the Heimlich maneuver, also known as abdominal thrusts. This technique is specifically designed to expel a foreign object lodged in the airway. The Heimlich maneuver involves standing behind the individual, wrapping your arms around their waist, making a fist just above their navel, and thrusting inward and upward. This action creates pressure that can help force the obstruction out of the airway.

While encouraging the person to cough forcefully is a common recommendation when they are only mildly choking, it is not appropriate for severe choking, where the airway is significantly blocked. Therefore, it's essential to identify the severity of the choking before deciding on a method of intervention.

While tapping on the back might seem helpful, for an adult who is experiencing severe choking, this could potentially worsen the situation by causing the object to become lodged further down the airway. Administering chest compressions is reserved for situations where the person is unconscious, and is not effective for a conscious choking adult. Thus, administering the Heimlich maneuver is the most appropriate and effective action in this scenario.