Heimlich Maneuver is a step by step technique or a protocol which is followed during choking.
What is Choking?.. Choking is the blocking of the air flow in the throat or wind pipe by any foreign object when lodged in it. In adults the culprit is often a piece of food and small objects are often swallowed by young children. As choking cuts off oxygen transport to the brain, we should give first aid as soon as possible.
The universal sign of choking is hands clutched around the throat. There are some other indications we can look for if the person doesn’t give the signal.
- Unable to talk
- Difficulty in breathing or noisy breathing
- Squeaky sounds while trying to breath
- Weak or forceful cough
- Lips, skin and nails turn blue or dusky
- Unconsciousness
If the person is able to cough forcefully, then he should keep coughing. If the person is choking and cannot talk, laugh or cry forcefully, then American Red Cross Society have recommended a “ five-and-five ” approach to delivering first aid.
- Give 5 back blows – For a choking adult, stand to the side and just behind. For a child, kneel down behind. Place an arm across the person’s chest for support. Bend over the person at the waist and make the upper body parallel to the ground. Give five separate back blows between the person’s shoulder blades with the heel of the hand.
- Give 5 abdominal thrusts – Hug the person from behind, hands at the abdomen of that person and sudden pulling jerks at the abdomen called as abdominal thrust should be performed 5 times (viz. also called Heimlich Maneuver)
- Alternate between 5 blows and 5 thrusts- Until the blockage is dislocated.
The American Heart Association doesn’t promote the back blows technique, only the abdominal thrust procedures. For an ammature it’s fine not to use back blow technique.
How to perform Heimlich Maneuver on someone else :
- Stand behind the person : Place one foot slightly forward of the person to balance. Wrap your arms around the waist. Bend the person slightly forward. For a child, kneel down behind the child.
- Make a fist with one hand : Place the fist slightly above the person’s navel.
- Grasp the fist with another hand : Press hard into abdomen with a quick, upward high velocity thrust as you are trying to lift the person up.
- Perform around 6 to 10 abdominal thrust until the blockage is removed.
If the person becomes uncounscious, you should perform Standard Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) with chest compressions to resume his breaths.
When you are alone and seeing someone choking, before giving first aid call for the medical emergency.
How to clear airway in different conditional persons.
- Pregnant woman or Obese person :
- Place your hand little bit higher than perform the normal Heimlich maneuver at the base of the breast bone, just above the lowest ribs joining point.
- Then perform the maneuver until the airway is clear.
2. An Unconscious person :
- Make the person lay in the floor on his back, arms to the side.
- Clear the airway, if the blockage is visible reach the finger into the mouth and sweep out the blockage. If the blockage is not visible don’t try to sweep blindly, it may push the block deeper, which can easily happen in children.
- Begin CPR, the chest compressions used in CPR may dislocate the blockage. Don’t forget to re-check the mouth periodically.
3. Infant younger than age 1 :
- Seat and hold the infant face down, on your forearm resting on your thigh. Keep the infant’s head and neck lower to the trunk.
- Thump the infant gently but firmly on the middle of the back 5 times by the heel of your hand. The gravity will add on to the back blows in releasing the blocking object.
- Give chest compressions, turn the infant face up, the head lower than the trunk. If infant still not breathing, using two fingers placed at the center of the breast bone give 5 chest compressions.
- Repeat the back blows and chest thrusts.
- Start infant CPR if any of these techniques open the airway but the infant doesn’t resume breathing.
- Immediately call for the medical emergency before giving first aid.