If You Choke While Eating Holiday Food... "Adult and Child Treatment Methods Differ"

[Asia Economy Reporter Byeon Seon-jin] The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on the 21st emergency first aid guidelines for situations that may occur during the Lunar New Year holiday period.

If you suffer burns such as oil splashing while making holiday food, run cold water over the burned area until the pain decreases and be careful not to burst any blisters. After possible first aid, you should receive hospital treatment. Do not apply ice packs, and do not apply soju, doenjang, ointments, or other substances.

If stung by a bee or insect, first find the bee sting that looks like a black dot on the red swollen area. Remove the sting by scraping the skin with a credit card or similar object. Apply an ice pack to the wound to relieve pain and swelling. If an allergic reaction (systemic hypersensitivity reaction) occurs, immediately perform necessary emergency measures and quickly transport the patient to a medical institution.

If the airway is blocked while eating, encourage the patient to cough if possible. If they cannot, perform emergency first aid for airway obstruction (Heimlich maneuver). If the patient is an adult, wrap your arms around them from behind, make a fist with one hand, cover the fist with the other hand, place it between the sternum and navel, and push upward. For children, if under 1 year old or weighing less than 10 kg, lay them face down on your thigh with their head lower than their body, then firmly strike the center of the back with the heel of your hand (‘back blows’), and repeat ‘chest compressions’ by pressing about 4 cm deep with two fingers just below the midpoint of the line connecting both nipples.

If a patient suddenly loses consciousness, immediately call for help nearby and report to 119. If there is no pulse, perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). If you are not familiar with the CPR process, do not attempt artificial respiration forcefully; perform only ‘strong’ and ‘fast’ chest compressions until 119 arrives.

If you witness an emergency accident scene, the witness plays a very important role in quickly connecting 119 and the patient. Instead of indiscriminately transporting the patient to the hospital, move the patient from the dangerous area to a safe and accessible location and care for the patient on site.