With a conscious adult foreign-body airway obstruction, which item is listed as a potential obstruction?

• A. Latex balloons
• B. Worms
• C. Coins
• D. Bread

Answer: (A)

The main idea is recognizing choking hazards that can cause a foreign-body airway obstruction in a conscious adult. Latex balloons are highlighted as a potential obstruction because their smooth, flexible surface and shape make them easy to inhale and quickly block the airway. A balloon can slip past the lips into the airway and then expand, creating a tight seal that coughing alone may not clear. This combination—small, unobstructive in appearance, and capable of causing rapid full blockage—keeps balloons a well-known, high-risk choking item.

Other items like coins or bread can indeed cause obstruction, but balloons are repeatedly singled out in training materials for their particular danger. Worms are far less typical as a choking hazard in standard lists.