What should you do if a pregnant adult is choking and acknowledges she needs help?

When a pregnant adult is choking and indicates that she needs assistance, the appropriate response is to perform chest thrusts. This method is recommended because traditional abdominal thrusts, or the Heimlich maneuver, can pose a risk to the pregnant woman and her baby due to the pressure applied to the abdomen.

Chest thrusts involve positioning oneself behind the person and delivering firm thrusts to the chest. This approach is safer during pregnancy since it minimizes the risk of harm to the fetus while still aiming to expel the obstruction. It's crucial to create enough force to dislodge the object, which is why using the chest is effective in this scenario.

While encouraging the individual to cough might seem like a viable option, it may not be effective if the person is unable to breathe adequately or the situation is severe. Calling emergency services is important to ensure professional medical assistance, but immediate action to dislodge the obstruction is essential first. Therefore, performing chest thrusts is the most suitable response in this scenario.