If a person cannot cough or speak after back blows, what is the next step?

When a person cannot cough or speak, it indicates that their airway is likely obstructed and they are in a life-threatening situation. The correct course of action is to give abdominal thrusts, which helps to expel the object blocking the airway. This technique, also known as the Heimlich maneuver, involves applying quick, upward thrusts just above the navel to create pressure that can dislodge the obstruction.

In this critical situation, performing abdominal thrusts can restore normal breathing by clearing the airway, making it the immediate and necessary response to an obstructed airway. It is important to act quickly, as a person who cannot cough or speak is at significant risk for suffocation.

Calling for emergency help is essential in cases of severe airway obstruction, but it should not be the next step when the person cannot cough or speak, as immediate intervention is needed. Similarly, waiting to see if the individual responds does not address the urgent need for airway clearance, and performing rescue breaths is only appropriate once breathing has resumed and the airway is clear.