How should an unconscious but choking adult be treated in the absence of medical help?

• A. Start CPR immediately without calling for help.
• B. Perform abdominal thrusts if the airway is blocked and call for help.
• C. Call for help and perform abdominal thrusts until the airway is cleared or help arrives.
• D. Remove the object with a finger sweep while the person is upright.

Answer: (C)

When someone is choking and becomes unconscious, the priority is to get professional help on the way while you continue life-saving actions to keep oxygen flowing and try to clear the airway. The choice reflects doing both actions together: call for help and keep trying to relieve the obstruction until the airway is cleared or help arrives. Abdominal thrusts are a technique used for someone who is conscious and choking; when unconscious, the airway may be blocked despite the person collapse, so you focus on resuscitation while still attempting to clear the airway. As you perform CPR, you may check the mouth for the object and remove it if you can see it safely, but you don’t delay calling for help or abandon efforts to relieve the blockage. The other options miss either getting help promptly, relying on a technique that isn’t appropriate for an unconscious victim, or attempting an unsafe finger sweep.