Your conscious patient has a mild partial airway obstruction. You should:

• A. Encourage coughing.
• B. Administer back blows.
• C. Perform abdominal thrusts.
• D. Place the patient supine.

Answer: (A)

When a conscious person has a mild partial airway obstruction, the airway is not fully blocked and the body’s natural cough reflex can often clear the object. Encouraging a forceful cough allows air to dislodge the item without introducing invasive maneuvers that could worsen the obstruction or cause injury. Keep the person upright, stay with them, and prompt them to cough hard while you monitor their breathing and distress.

If coughing becomes ineffective, or the person can’t speak, or shows signs of severe trouble (difficulty breathing, choking, turning blue), you should switch to the procedures used for a severe obstruction and call for help. Those maneuvers are not appropriate for a mild obstruction.