Risk factors and prevention of choking

7Citations
Citations of this article
127Readers
Mendeley users who have this article in their library.

Abstract

Choking (or foreign body airway obstruction) is a widespread phenomenon with serious consequences of morbidity and mortality. Choking (often also called suffocation) can be caused by food or inedible objects and leads to various degrees of asphyxiation or lack of oxygen in the blood stream. The incidence is very high in both young children and adults, especially seniors. However, since not all choking episodes end up in the emergency room or become fatalities, they often escape statistics. Although episodes of choking from non-edible bodies are infrequent, they affect mostly young children. Three of the most common risks for choking in general are neurological disorders, dysphagia and dental issues (few or no teeth, unstable or unsuitable prosthesis or orthodontic appliances). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the risk factors of choking and ways to reduce/avoid this event. We reported data on a series of 138 patients admitted to the emergency department following a choking event, at a hospital in Rome, Italy. The age group of the analyzed population ranged from 1 to 88 years, with the most represented age group of these between 40 and 59, with a similar distribution between males and females. The types of foods on which people choked reflected the seasonal, traditional and local foods: 67% of patients reported choking on fish bones followed by meat bones (9%) and artichokes (3%). Three relevant non-food choking elements reported were: orthodontic items, toothpicks and pins (one occurrence each). We also reported on two clinical cases of patients choking on meat and a chicken bone. In conclusion, choking awareness and prevention are essential for implementing potential life-saving precautions. Prevention is the first tool to reduce the occurrence of this event, therefore it is necessary to analyze the risk factors and educate the population to eliminate them. Proper chewing and oral manipulation are paramount functions in preventing choking, along with meal-time supervision if little children and elderly. Then, it behooves the healthcare professionals to disseminate knowledge of emergency maneuvers (e.g., Heimlich maneuver) to be implemented in the event of choking.

References Powered by Scopus

An optimization model for mastication and swallowing in mammals

296Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Oral physiology and mastication

240Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Chewing and food consistency: Effects on bolus transport and swallow initiation

109Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Cited by Powered by Scopus

The global, regional, and national burden of foreign bodies from 1990 to 2019: a systematic analysis of the global burden of disease study 2019

2Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Dysphagia progression and related factors in community-dwelling care-dependent patients through home-visit dental care: A 12-month retrospective cohort study

0Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Choking and laryngospasm: Exploring commonalities and treatment strategies

0Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Register to see more suggestions

Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.

Already have an account?

Cite

CITATION STYLE

APA

Saccomanno, S., Saran, S., Paskay, L. C., De Luca, M., Tricerri, A., Orlandini, S. M., … Messina, G. (2023). Risk factors and prevention of choking. European Journal of Translational Myology, 33(4). https://doi.org/10.4081/ejtm.2023.11471

Readers' Seniority

Tooltip

PhD / Post grad / Masters / Doc 7

44%

Researcher 5

31%

Professor / Associate Prof. 2

13%

Lecturer / Post doc 2

13%

Readers' Discipline

Tooltip

Medicine and Dentistry 13

57%

Nursing and Health Professions 8

35%

Neuroscience 1

4%

Chemistry 1

4%

Save time finding and organizing research with Mendeley

Sign up for free