Heimlich maneuver has saved many lives

Q. I’m presuming there actually was someone named Heimlich who gave his name to the maneuver for helping people who are choking. Am I right?

Yes, there actually is a Heimlich - Henry J. Heimlich, MD. In 1974, Dr. Heimlich published findings on what became the Heimlich maneuver. Since then, the method has saved more than 100,000 people in the United States alone.

More than 3,000 people choke to death every year. Children younger than 3 years old and senior citizens are the leading victims.

Young children swallow small objects that get lodged in their throats. One of the main causes for choking among seniors is ill-fitting dentures that prevent them from chewing properly. This leads to choking on a piece of food.

Other causes of choking include drinking alcohol, which can dull the nerves that help us swallow, eating too fast, laughing while eating, and eating while walking.

If you ever have to use the Heimlich maneuver on someone who is choking, here is a basic guide from the Heimlich Institute:

Choking adults

From behind, wrap your arms around the victim’s waist. Make a fist and place the thumb side of your fist against the victim’s upper abdomen, below the ribcage and above the navel.

Grasp your fist with your other hand and press into the upper abdomen with a quick upward thrust. Do not squeeze the ribcage; confine the force of the thrust to your hands. Repeat until object is expelled.

Unconscious victim or rescuer can’t reach around the victim

Place the victim on back. Facing the victim, kneel astride the victim’s hips. With one of your hands on top of the other, place the heel of your bottom hand on the upper abdomen below the rib cage and above the navel. Use your body weight to press into the victim’s upper abdomen with a quick upward thrust. Repeat until object is expelled. If the victim has not recovered, proceed with CPR.

The victim should see a physician immediately after rescue. Don’t slap the victim’s back. (This could make matters worse.)

Choking infants

Lay the child down, face up, on a firm surface and kneel or stand at the victim’s feet, or hold infant on your lap facing away from you. Place the middle and index fingers of both your hands below the rib cage and above the navel. Press into the victim’s upper abdomen with a quick upward thrust; do not squeeze the rib cage. Be very gentle. Repeat until object is expelled.

If the victim has not recovered, proceed with CPR. The victim should see a physician immediately after rescue. Don’t slap the victim’s back. (This could make matters worse.)

For yourself

Make a fist and place the thumb side of your fist against your upper abdomen, below the ribcage and above the navel. Grasp your fist with your other hand and press into your upper abdomen with a quick upward thrust. Repeat until object is expelled.

Alternatively, you can lean over a fixed horizontal object (table edge, chair, railing) and press your upper abdomen against the edge to produce a quick upward thrust. Repeat until object is expelled. See a physician immediately after rescue.