Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About Choking
Food or small objects can cause choking if they get caught in your throat and block your airway. This keeps oxygen from getting to your lungs and brain. If your brain goes without oxygen for more than four minutes, you could have brain damage or die.
Young children are at an especially high risk of choking. They can choke on foods like hot dogs, nuts and grapes, and on small objects like toy pieces and coins. Keep hazards out of their reach and supervise them when they eat.
When someone is choking, quick action can be lifesaving. Learn how to do back blows, the Heimlich maneuver (abdominal thrusts), and CPR.
It sits within Lungs and Breathing, Injuries and Wounds and Symptoms.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on Choking
58 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research currently under way
- NASA Exercise Prebreathe StudyDuke University
- Slump Lateral Bending Test Diagnostic Accuracy in Lumbar Radicular PainFisiopoint Parma Physiotherapy
- Plant-Based Nutrition for Breast or Endometrial CancerUniversity of Rochester
- Prospective Evaluation of Foreign Body Airway Obstruction Interventions Among Adults and ChildrenUniversity of Calgary
- Prospective Evaluation of Foreign Body Airway Obstruction Interventions Among InfantsUniversity of Calgary
- Impact of Atrial Fibrillation Ablation on Sleep Parameters.Primula Clinics
Research already completed
- A Descriptive Analysis of Diving Accidents Treated at the Hyperbaric Chamber of Nice Hospital Between 2014 and 2025Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice
- NASA Prebreathe StudyDuke University
- Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Choking Management Education for Caregivers of Infants Under 1 Year: Comparison Between Practical Workshop and Informational LeafletHospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla
- Identifying the Optimal Dynamic Ankle-Foot Orthosis Bending Stiffness for Individuals Post-StrokeUniversity of Delaware
- Evaluation of Foreign Body Airway Obstruction Interventions Through SimulationUniversity of Calgary
- Chocking First Aid Management Program for Health Care Support Workers.Riphah International University
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Start Here
- Choking -- Heimlich ManeuverAmerican College of Emergency Physicians
- Choking Prevention and Rescue TipsNational Safety Council
- Choking: First AidMayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
Treatments and Therapies
- Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR): First AidMayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- CPR for a Baby or ChildAmerican Red Cross
- CPR for Infants and ChildrenAmerican College of Emergency Physicians
- Emergency airway puncture - seriesMedical Encyclopedia
- What to Do About ChokingNemours Foundation
Prevention and Risk Factors
- Choking and Strangulation Prevention TipsSafe Kids Worldwide
- Choking Prevention for Babies and Children: What Every Parent Needs to KnowAmerican Academy of Pediatrics
- Choosing Safe ToysNemours Foundation
- Household Safety: Preventing ChokingNemours Foundation
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Airway Obstruction. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Choking, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.