How to Perform the Heimlich Maneuver for Upper Airway Distress
The Heimlich Maneuver is a life saving first-aid procedure that every adult should be familiar with and comfortable performing. It is used when an individual chokes on food or a foreign object is lodged in his windpipe. If the object is not removed, the victim will suffocate. The Heimlich Maneuver attempts to abruptly increase intra-abdominal pressure, which helps to forcibly eject the object from the victim's trachea.
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Instructions
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A Conscious Patient
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1
Stand behind the sitting or standing choking victim. Reach around his waist with your arms.
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2
Make a fist with your dominant hand and place it, thumb side in, just above the choking victim's navel. Grab your fist with your other hand.
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3
Jerk your fists up and in -- quickly -- using the strength of both arms.
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4
Repeat until the foreign object is expelled or the victim loses consciousness. If the victim passes out, lay him on the floor and perform the Heimlich Maneuver for unconscious patients.
An Unconscious Patient
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5
Roll the choking victim onto his back, preferably onto a solid surface.
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6
Straddle the victim facing his head.
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7
Make a fist with one hand and cover it with your opposite hand. Push your grasped fist up and into the patients abdomen, quickly, just above his navel.
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8
Repeat procedure as needed, until foreign object is expelled.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Continue to perform the Heimlich maneuver even if a victim lapses into unconsciousness; in some cases, being unconscious causes an involuntary relaxation of the larynx and allows objects to be more easily expelled.
The Heimlich maneuver is not recommended for infants younger than 1. Do not utilize the adult version of the maneuver for babies. If a victim is actively coughing or is able to speak, the Heimlich Maneuver is not needed.
References
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