Choking Assessment Questionnaire

Questions Your Doctor May Ask - and Why!

During a consultation, your doctor will use various techniques to assess the symptom: Choking. These will include a physical examination and possibly diagnostic tests. (Note: A physical exam is always done, diagnostic tests may or may not be performed depending on the suspected condition) Your doctor will ask several questions when assessing your condition. It is important to openly share any pertinent information to help your doctor make an accurate diagnosis.

It is also very important to bring an up-to-date list of all of your all medical conditions, medications including dosages, and names of numbers of any specialist you see.

Create your printable checklist by answering questions that your doctor may ask below:

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When did the choking start?
Why: to determine if acute or chronic. If acute would suggest acute epiglottitis, acute pharyngitis, croup, anaphylaxis, retropharyngeal abscess and foreign body.
Age of patient?
Why: if the patient is a child and choking must consider acute epiglottitis, croup, inhaled foreign body, laryngomalacia (congenital laryngeal stridor) and retropharyngeal abscess. If patient is an adult and choking should consider myasthenia gravis, bulbar and pseudobulbar palsy, recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy, pharyngitis, laryngotracheitis, cancer of the larynx or trachea, anaphylaxis, foreign body, thyroid disorders, masses in the mediastinum.
Is the choking constant or intermittent?
Why: e.g. if intermittent may suggest croup which is characteristically worse at night, laryngomalacia which is exacerbated by crying and exertion.
Does choking occur during sleep?
Why: may suggest obstructive sleep apnea or laryngomalacia (in children).
Do you have any known allergies?
Why: may suggest anaphylaxis which can cause swelling of the face, pharynx and larynx and consequent choking.
Cigarette smoking?
Why: can increase the risk of larynx cancer or tracheal cancer.
Stridor?
Why: a high pitched noise with breathing in, like blowing in the wind, a sign of respiratory obstruction, especially in the trachea or larynx.
Fever?
Why: may suggest croup, diphtheria, acute thyroiditis, retropharyngeal abscess and mediastinitis.
Cough?
Why: may suggest whooping cough, croup, diphtheria.
Snoring?
Why: may suggest obstructive sleep apnea.
Symptoms of anaphylaxis?
Why: e.g. wheeze, stridor, shortness of breath, swelling of the face and tongue.

Conditions listing medical symptoms: Choking:

The following list of conditions have 'Choking' or similar listed as a symptom in our database. This computer-generated list may be inaccurate or incomplete. Always seek prompt professional medical advice about the cause of any symptom.

Select from the following alphabetical view of conditions which include a symptom of Choking or choose View All.

View All A B C D E F G H I J L M N O P S T U V W

Conditions listing medical complications: Choking:

The following list of medical conditions have 'Choking' or similar listed as a medical complication in our database.

» Next page: Types of Choking

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