Heimlich Maneuver
The Heimlich maneuver (pronounced Hi-mlick) is a technique whereby you administer abdominal thrusts to yourself or to a person who is choking. The Heimlich maneuver is recommended for use in clearing a blocked airway in conscious adults and children over the age of one; it is not meant to be used for choking infants under age one.
The act of abdominal thrust lifts the diaphragm and forces air from the lungs, similar to a coughing action, so that the foreign body in an airway may be moved and expelled.
The steps to perform the Heimlich maneuver on a choking person are:
Stand behind the person, wrap your arms around the waist, and tip the person slightly forward.
Make a fist with one hand and place it slightly above the navel.
Grasp your fist with your other hand and press forcefully into the abdomen with quick, upward thrusts, using force as if you were attempting to lift the person up.
Continue the thrusts until the foreign body is dislodged.
Heimlich maneuver
The steps to perform the Heimlich maneuver on yourself if you are choking are:
Place your fist just slightly above your navel.
Grasp your fist with your other hand, bend over a hard surface like a chair or countertop, and thrust your fist inward and upward.
To clear an airway obstruction of a pregnant woman or obese person, place your fists closer to the chest, right above the joining of the ribs at the base of the breastbone, and follow the Heimlich maneuver steps.
When a choking person is unconscious, lower the person on her back onto the floor. Clear the airway using the head-tilt method. If you can see the blockage, reach a finger into the mouth and sweep it out (finger sweep), using caution not to push the object deeper into the airway.
If you are unable to remove the obstructing object and the person doesn't respond, you must begin CPR. In this case, there is a chance that the chest compressions used in CPR will free the object so recheck the mouth at regular intervals.
In the case of a choking infant younger than age one, sit with the infant face down on your forearm, positioned securely on your thigh. Thump the infant firmly and gently five times with the heel of your hand in the middle of the back. The back blows and the gravity will most likely free the obstruction.
Fact
Unintentional injuries from events such as motor-vehicle crashes, chokings and suffocations, near drownings, bicycle-related crashes, falls, and poisonings are the leading causes of death for children ages fourteen and under. By learning CPR and first aid you could save a child's life!
If it doesn't work, turn the infant face up on your forearm, head lower than body, and use two fingers positioned over the center of the breastbone just below the nipples and give five quick chest compressions. Continue to repeat the back blows and chest thrusts and if the infant doesn't start breathing, call 911.
If you have cleared the obstruction and the infant doesn't start breathing, begin infant CPR. In babies older than age one, only give abdominal thrusts.
