Everything You Need to Know About the Heimlich Maneuver

mimmii7777
Nov 22, 2020
2 min read

Choking is the fourth cause of unintentional death. There is a simple technique you can use on someone who is choking or yourself. This technique is called the Heimlich maneuver. The procedure involves expelling the trapped object from the airway by thrusting on the abdomen and essentially lifting the diaphragm. The Heimlich maneuver is performed differently depending on whether the person is pregnant, an infant (less than a year old), or none of them.

How to know if someone is choking?

The universal sign is a person clutching their throat. However, if the person in question doesn't use this signal, then rely on these indications:

Inability to talk
Difficulty breathing or noisy breathing
Squeaky sounds when trying to breathe
Cough, which may either be weak or forceful
Skin, lips, and nails turning blue or dusky
Skin that is flushed then turns pale or bluish
Loss of consciousness

Procedure

If the person is coughing, they should continue to do so until the object dislodges itself from the airway.

On someone who isn't pregnant or an infant:

Get the person to stand upright.
Position yourself behind them.
Lean the person forward and, using the heel of your hand, hit their back five times.
Place your arms around their waist.
Make a fist with your hand and place it above their navel with your thumb tucked inside your fist.
Grab your fist with your other hand and push it inwards and upwards five times.
Repeat these steps until the object is expelled from the airway and the person can breathe and/or cough.

If the person cannot stand up, straddle them facing their head.
Push your fist inward and upward the same way you would if they were standing.

Here is a great video explaining in detail how to help somebody who is choking using the Heimlich maneuver.

On a pregnant woman:

Follow the same procedure but place your hands higher on their torso, underneath their breastbone. If they're unconscious, place them on their back and try to dislodge the object with a sweeping motion of your hand. If that doesn't work, begin CPR.

On an infant:

Sit down, rest your forearm on your thigh, and place the infant facedown on your forearm.
Gently hit their back five times with the heel of your hand.

If that doesn't work, position the infant face up, resting on your forearm with their head lower than their trunk.
Use two fingers to press on their breastbone, administrating chest compressions.
Repeat until the infant can cough or breathe.

On yourself:

If you're choking with nobody around to help you, do this:

Make a fist with your thumb tucked in just above your navel.
Grab your fist with your other hand and push in inwards and upwards five times.
Repeat this procedure until the object is expelled and you can breathe or cough on your own.