Call 911 or help person first?

[esunada]

HI, I just took a CPR class but I forgot to ask. Say if someone is choking but is still conscious would you still call 911 first if you are alone? Or do you try to do the heimlich/back blows for a few minutes to see if it'll dislodge and then call 911 if need be.

My understanding is you only call 911 first if they are unconscious and then proceed to help the person.

[tokmom, BSN, RN]

I would try to dislodge the object first. If the person lost consciousness, then I'd be calling 911 and getting back to the person to try to continue disloding the object.

[Bobbkat]

Technically you should call 911 first, because otherwise, if you are unable to dislodge the object then you have a longer time to wait with a compromised airway while EMS arrives. It's better to call first and not need them than to not call and have to wait minutes longer while the victim can not breathe.

[Bug Out, BSN]

IIRC the AHA and RC differ on opinions on this.

I would recommend dialing 911 and start thrusts with the phone on speaker or bluetooth.

I assume no one uses landlines anymore?

[silverbells_star]

It's Check CALL Care. Check the patient, Call for help, then Care for what you find

[Lola77]

I just learned in my ACLS class that if an adult call first and if a child/baby, care first. But, obviously, each situation is going to be different. But with a baby/young child, you do a round of CPR first before calling.

[313RN, BSN, RN]

I thought it was call first if the incedent was witnessed, care for 2 minutes if you find someone down and don't know when they collapsed.

In a choking situation there's likely to be people around (eating is generally a social kind of activity) so I'd probably tell someone nearby to call 911 while I start the heimlich.

[AnonEmus]

It's the same as when a patient on the floor codes. Call for help first.

If you can't handle the situation for whatever reason, you slow down the process of getting adequate care delivered. If help isn't needed, then the slight delay of calling 911 first won't matter.

I'm a firefighter and this is the logic presented to us in training.

[dthfytr, ADN, LPN, RN, EMT-B, EMT-I]

This is one of the many points that AHA changes from time to time, and having so many differant answers drilled into my head, I can't keep straight what the current thinking is. Having been an Ambulance dispatcher, note that guidelines state that when you call 911, the caller should stay on the phone until the dispatcher releases them. Seconds would seem like hours. I think I wouldn't think, and would immediately start life saving attempts, then call 911 when I've ruled out a quick save. But that's just me. Your mileage may vary.

[wooh, BSN, RN]

The logic with AHA is if it's respiratory, you want to get them air. If it's cardiac, you want to get them defibrillated. So with adults (who mostly are cardiac) call first so that you can get EMTs there with a defibrillator. If it's a kid (who usually will be respiratory), do a round of CPR first, then call 911. If it's an adult that's choking, do Heimlich first, then call 911.

Of course, if you aren't alone, then start CPR while you have someone else call 911.

[island40]

check the American heart Association website for information as well as your state BON or facility nursing educator