choking device

[Araucana]

Anyone had any experience of these

femvity.com/products/chokin...

Mum is choking more and more but cannot see any medical evidence on the site.

Admin please remove if I am not allowed to post a link.

[messier]

not heard of this before but I can’t see anything to show it is CE marked which it needs to be to be safe and effective. Does anyone know if it is?

[LuisRodicioRodicio]

Hi Araucana!!

I have not references about the device.

These are our experiences and information about choking:

• Phlegm and choking: The first thing is to remain calm during episodes of truly shocking coughs. The second is that a physician rules out an infection in the respiratory tract. Get a pulse oximeter to control. (Fever is an indication usually either pneumonia or urinay tract infection (UTI) in PSP patients).

• It is not a big problem that the patient swallows his phlegm. For phlegm to be fluid, it is important to drink liquids. Ten minutes steam inhalation from hot water in a bowl with a few drops of some floral essence (avoid mint plants and eucalyptus) that is pleasant to the patient, a small spoonful of marine salt and some pieces of lemon, with a towel covering head and bowl helps. (One to three times a day (*).

• Inhalation of the mentioned water steam together with abundant oral hydration are usually sufficient to improve the fluidity of phlegm.

• Bazooka111 provides this experience regarding phlegm generation: "Ipratropium Bromide and Albuterol Sulfate inhalation solution twice per day.

• We have been doing these breathing treatments for several months, and the phlegm has pretty much disappeared." I think interesting to ask the doctor.

• A steam atomizer to keep the air in the room moist helped too. (40% - 52% moist advisable.)

• Medications like "Mucosan" (Ambroxol hydrochloride) or “Fluimicil Forte-600” (Acetilcisteine) can help in some cases. Ask physician.

(*) We have observed that a steam inhalation session immediately before dinner can reduce appetite. Giving her dinner "before" the "steam inhalation" the results were better.

• In case of choking, raise both arms at shoulder height, breathe only through the nose intensely if posible. If not, inhale air intensely but not very fast through the mouth. Retain air a couple of seconds and then force the cough.

• Also here, to avoid in the diet drinks that can be irritating helps: coffee, carbonated beverages as pop or soda (or eliminate the gas by agitation before giving it to the patient), chocolate, Orange, lemon or grapefruit juice, etc..

• Zerachuel suggests: “Carbocisteine is used to make the phlegm easier to move, ask your doctor or consultant. It does take a few weeks to start helping so give it time.”

• Easterncedar suggest: “We had an electric suction device for a time, supplied by home nursing agency. It helped. Also atropine eyedrops under the tongue worked to relieve excess phlegm.”

• Atomic 55: “I would recommend Hockney or Scolpadeine/Scopoderm patches. They work to reduce the saliva build up. As soon as I started them in patient he stopped choking on saliva completely. Patches last 3 days”.

Note.- It has been described that: pineapple juice breaks down the protein very well and fluidifies the mucus (phlegms). It will have to be tested if the patient tolerates pineapple juice without coughing or choking. (Red1990 indicates that: the pineapple juice enzyme complex is available as a supplement called Bromelain. For people taking anticoagulants, bromelain and melatonin have the same risks of gastrointestinal bleeding as aspirin).

To reduce choking are some foods to avoid: like grapes, rice, couscous, lentils, peas etc anything small was problematic as were spicy foods. Foods that crumble easily, cookies, crackers, stringy foods, sticky foods, etc.

• In stubborn cases some caregivers have mentioned the rental of suction equipment which seems to have helped effectively when the phlegm is very thick and sticky. The vacuum cleaner is called: DeVilbiss Vacuaide (see different types on the Internet). The caregiver “binnyrox” suggest: “Apart from the DeVilbiss suction machine - our respiratory therapist advised choosing a softer catheter - it will be less traumatic while still providing high suctioning efficiency. I use Sz 14 and it generally does the job with thick phlegm. If you aren’t very experienced (I wasn’t ) the RT also recommend placing an airway guide to steer the catheter in. That was a good tip”

• The physiotherapists have exercises reinforcing trunk muscles to improve the cough response to choking. Engage a good speech/swallow therapist to learn swallowing techniques.

• Avoid dairy products, especially before bedtime, this seems to prevent the increase in phlegm viscosity.

• Raising around 15º a 35º (9” to 12”) the head of the bed also helps.

Hug and luck.

Luis

[Araucana in reply to LuisRodicioRodicio]

Thanks Luis need to keep all this in mind as mum gets worse 😥

[Richard33]

Araucana,

I have just bought one using your link. I cannot see why it would not work and at that price there is little to lose. Ruth's choking is getting more frightening on occasion - she still eats regular food, soft and cut really small - so she could choke dangerously and get a blocked airway. I hope I do not need to use it, but if I do I will of course report on this forum. (The seller looks legit and I immediately received an email confirming the order).

Thanks for posting about it.

Richard x

[Araucana]

I might buy one as well then. My colleague at work mentioned it - she has seen it in the Guardian being reviewed. Apparently it is used a lot in American nursing homes.

My mum has had several quite unnerving choking episodes, nasty ones are still quite unusual but it worries me each time that she might not get through it.