Elderly man in coma after choking on instant noodles

An elderly man in his 80s has fallen into a coma after choking on instant noodles on Monday. 

Police received a report around noon saying that the man had lost consciousness while he was having lunch at his home at Kwai Yuen House, Chuk Yuen South Estate, Wong Tai Sin.

The man was not breathing and had no pulse when emergency services arrived, and was sent to United Christian Hospital for emergency treatment, accompanied by family members.

It is understood that the octogenarian has a history of chronic illness.

Immediate past president of the Hong Kong College of Cardiology Chan Ngai-yin said that those who have previously had a stroke are more prone to choking due to poor coordination.

Anyone who sees someone choking is recommended to stay close to monitor the person choking and to encourage them to keep coughing, according to the Fire Services Department.

If a person is unable to cough due to complete obstruction of the airway, 999 should be called and the Heimlich Maneuver can also be performed.

To perform the Heimlich Maneuver, the person should wrap their arms around the patient’s waist, standing behind them. The person should make a fist with the thumb on the patient’s abdomen, and the other hand grasping the fist slightly above the patient’s navel.

The person performing the maneuver should then repeatedly thrust upward and inward against the patient's abdomen with force, according to the FSD.

The latest incident comes after three people had choked to death in the past four months.

A seven-year-old girl was sent to Queen Mary Hospital in an unconscious state after choking on jelly on October 20 last year. She died after a week in hospital.

Another 58-year-old woman choked on siu mai at her home in Kwai Chung Estate. She died on October 25 last year, two days after being sent to Yan Chai Hospital in Tsuen Wan.

A 58-year-old chronically-ill man died after choking on instant noodles on December 13, 2021.