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Acute upper airway obstruction

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Throat anatomy

Choking

Respiratory system

Respiratory system

Acute upper airway obstruction

Alternative Names:

Airway obstruction - acute upper; Choking
Symptoms:

Symptoms vary depending on the cause, but some symptoms are common to all types of obstruction.

Choking
Gasping for air
Wheezing, crowing, whistling, or other unusual breathing noises indicating breathing difficulty
Agitation or fidgeting
Panic
Cyanosis
Changes in consciousness
Unconsciousness

Signs and tests:

Physical examination may show decreased breath sounds. Tests are usually not necessary, but may include x-rays, bronchoscopy, and laryngoscopy.

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