Prospective evaluation of basic life support interventions for foreign body airway obstructions: A pilot population-based cohort study

The study evaluated the feasibility of prospectively tracking cases of foreign body airway obstruction (FBAO) in Alberta, Canada between November 2025 and April 2026. Among 5,208 screened encounters, 147 FBAO cases were identified, with 91 adults and children (89.2%) and 39 young children (86.7%) enrolled. In adults and older children, bystander intervention relieved the obstruction in 59 cases (66.3%) and 80 patients (87.9%) survived to acute care discharge. In young children, intervention relieved the obstruction in 33 cases (84.6%) and all survived with favorable neurological outcomes. The study confirmed the feasibility of prospectively identifying and recruiting individuals with FBAO using population-based prehospital and emergency department records.