Basic treatment includes several procedures aiming at removing foreign bodies from the airways.

Also, if the choking is caused by an irritating substance rather than an obstructing one, and if conscious, the patient should be allowed to drink water on their own to try to clear the throat.

Coughing is normal after most of the irritants have cleared, and at this point, the patient will probably refuse any additional water for a short time.

[4][5] The back slap uses percussion to create pressure behind the blockage, assisting the patient in dislodging the article.

[6] Performing abdominal thrusts involves a rescuer standing behind a patient and using his or her hands to exert pressure on the bottom of the diaphragm.

The European Resuscitation Council and the Mayo Clinic recommend alternating between 5 back slaps and 5 abdominal thrusts in severe airway obstructions.

[6] In some areas, such as Australia, authorities believe there is not enough scientific evidence to support the use of abdominal thrusts, and their use is not recommended in first aid.

[7] A person may also perform abdominal thrusts on himself by using a fixed object such as a railing or the back of a chair to apply pressure where a rescuer's hands would normally do so.

The pressure is not focused against the endpoint of the chest bone (which is named the xiphoid process), to avoid breaking it.

[2] In modern times, some commercial anti-choking devices (LifeVac, Dechoker, Lifewand) [10][11][12] have been developed and released to the market.

The maneuver is performed by tilting the head backward in unconscious patients, often by applying pressure to the forehead and the chin.

[16][17] The jaw-thrust maneuver is an effective airway technique, particularly in patients in whom cervical spine injury is a concern.

The practitioner uses their index and middle fingers to physically pull the posterior (back) of the mandible towards the ceiling, while their thumbs open the mouth.