Heimlich Maneuver

The Heimlich Maneuver, invented by Henry Heimlich, is a series of abdominal thrusts under the diaphragm. They are recommended for helping a person who is choking on a foreign object. Abdominal thrusts lift the diaphragm and force enough air from the lungs to create an artificial cough. The cough is intended to move and expel an obstructing foreign body in an airway. Each thrust should be given with the intent of removing the obstruction.http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4605

In 1974, Dr Henry Heimlich announced the maneuver which now carries his name. Before the Heimlich maneuver, when a person choked, it was thought that forcefully slapping the victim's back was helpful. In reality, slapping often causes the blockage to drop deeper into the throat, making the situation even worse. In an 1974 article in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Heimlich wrote that applying upward pressure to the diaphragm, under the choke point, might force the blockage to pop out, like a cork from a champagne bottle. Within weeks he began hearing from doctors who had used the maneuver to save lives, and within months Dr Heimlich and his Heimlich maneuver were famous.http://www.heimlichinstitute.org/page.php?id=34

• For a conscious person who is sitting or standing, get behind the person and reach around his or her waist.
• Place the fist, thumb side in, just above the person's navel and grab the fist tightly with the other hand.
• Pull fist abruptly upward and inward to increase airway pressure behind the obstructing object and force it from the windpipe.
• If the person is conscious and lying on his or her back, straddle the person facing the head. Push a grasped fist upward and inward.

The maneuver may need to be repeated several times before the object is dislodged. If repeated attempts do not free the airway, an emergency cut in the windpipe (tracheostomytracheostomy or cricothyrotomy) may be necessary.

A choking baby can't speak or breathe and needs your help immediately. Follow these steps to help a choking infant:http://www.heimlichinstitute.org/page.php?id=34

• Lay the child down, face up, on a firm surface and kneel or stand at the victim's feet, or hold infant on the lap facing away. Place the middle and index fingers of both hands below his rib cage and above his navel. Press into the victim's upper abdomen with a quick upward thrust; do not squeeze the rib cage. Be very gentle. Repeat until object is expelled.
• If the victim has not recovered, proceed with CPR. The victim should see a physician immediately after rescue.
• Don't slap the victim's back. This could make matters worse.

For performing the maneuver on oneself to keep from choking:http://www.heimlichinstitute.org/page.php?id=34

• Make a fist and place the thumb side of the fist against the upper abdomen, below the ribcage and above the navel.
• Grasp the fist with the other hand and press into the upper abdomen with a quick upward thrust.
• Repeat until object is expelled.

Another option is to lean over a fixed horizontal object (table edge, chair, railing) and press the upper abdomen against the edge to produce a quick upward thrust. Repeat until object is expelled. See a physician immediately after rescue.

The content on this page is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please contact your doctor or pharmacist for information about this product.