What Is The Heimlich Maneuver Used For?

The Heimlich maneuver is a first aid procedure used

when a person is choking

. If you are alone and you are choking, you can try to dislodge the item in your throat or windpipe by performing the Heimlich maneuver on yourself.

What does the Heimlich maneuver prevent?

The Heimlich maneuver is a first aid method for

choking

. Choking is when a person can’t breathe because food, a toy or another foreign item is blocking their throat or windpipe (trachea). The Heimlich maneuver is also known as abdominal thrusts. It can be used in different ways on adults and children.

When should the Heimlich maneuver be used?

A person who is

choking

cannot talk, cough, or breathe, and may turn gray or blue. The Heimlich maneuver can help get the food or object out. WARNING: Do not try the Heimlich maneuver unless you are sure the person is choking. If the person can cough or make sounds, let him or her cough to try to get the object out.

What is the Heimlich maneuver and how do you perform it?

1. Stand behind the person. Place one foot slightly in front of the other for balance. …
2. Make a fist with one hand. …
3. Grasp the fist with the other hand. …
4. Perform between six and 10 abdominal thrusts until the blockage is dislodged.

Should you slap someone on the back when they are choking?

Don’t slap a choking person on the back while they are upright

– gravity may cause the object to slip further down the trachea (windpipe). First aid for choking adults includes back blows and chest thrusts while the person is leaning forward.

Do I need to see a doctor after choking?

After the object is successfully dislodged,

the person should see a doctor because complications can arise

. In the days following a choking episode, contact a doctor right away if the person develops: A cough that does not go away. Fever.

Does raising your arms help when choking?

Raising the hands above the child’s head stops the coughing or choking. Raising arms when someone coughs might actually

make the situation more dangerous

. The motion of the arms influences the motion of the child’s neck and trunk. In turn, the food causing the coughing can shift and block the airway.

What do you do if someone is choking and becomes unresponsive?

If not coughing, ask if the victim is choking or can speak. If not, get victim’s consent and give abdominal thrusts 3. If the victim becomes unresponsive, call, or have someone call 911. Then

provide CPR, beginning with chest compressions

.

What is the correct way to perform back blows?

1. Stand to the side of and slightly behind the choking victim.
2. Keep one arm around their waist for support and have them bend over at the waist at a 90-degree angle (important).
3. Firmly deliver several blows to the center of the victim’s back.

Why do the elderly choke so easily?

The elderly can be susceptible to choking due to a number of factors:

eating too fast, trying to swallow large portions of food and having difficulty swallowing due to a number of health conditions

such as Parkinson’s disease and strokes. … All these factors can contribute to the risk of choking.

What is the first thing to do when someone is choking?

• If someone is choking, encourage them to cough. …
• Bend them forwards and give up to 5 back blows to try and dislodge the blockage. …
• If they are still choking, give up to 5 abdominal thrusts: hold around the waist and pull inwards and upwards above their belly button.

What if the Heimlich maneuver doesn’t work?

The force and gravity will force the object out. If the object fails to come out,

hold the baby on your forearm face-up with the head being a bit lower than the rest of the body

. You then have to use two or three of your fingers to give quick chest thrusts to get the object out.

What to watch for after choking?

After any major choking episode, a child needs to go to

the ER

. Get emergency medical care for a child if: The child has a lasting cough, drooling, gagging, wheezing, trouble swallowing, or trouble breathing. The child turned blue, became limp, or was unconscious during the episode, even if he or she seemed to recover.

Should you drink water when choking?

Don’t drink any water to try forcing the food down

—that can actually make it worse, Dr. Bradley notes. Yes, it’s the same action you’d use to help someone else choke, but you’d be doing it on yourself.

How common is choking to death?

Death from choking

In the United States, the odds of one dying from choking on food is around 1 in 2,535. These odds are greater than the odds of dying from an accidental gun discharge or as a passenger on a plane. In 2019, there were

around 1.6 deaths from choking per 100,000 population

.

What should you do if a person is choking but is still able to speak or breathe?

1. Give Back Blows. Give up to 5 blows between the shoulder blades with the heel of your hand.
2. If Person Is Still Choking, Do Thrusts. …
3. Give CPR, if Necessary. …
4. Follow Up.