Choking and Heimlich Manoeuvre

[andyoxon]

Most probably know about the HM.  I was thinking earlier about a dreadful choking incident I heard about.  Anyway thought I'd post this...in case anyone wants a refresher...

Heimlich Manoeuvre  - Patient.co.uk   

Something I hadn't really appreciated...

The Manoeuvre can be self administered.

The self administered Heimlich manoeuvre was described in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1986 and the recommendation there was that the victim should make a fist with one hand, the thumb side being placed on the abdomen above the navel and below the xiphoid process, the fist is grasped with the other hand and pressed inwards and upwards towards the diaphragm with a quick motion.4 In the event that this is unsuccessful the victim should press the upper abdomen quickly over any firm surface such as the back of a chair, side of a table, or porch railing. The observation was made that several thrusts may be needed to clear the airway.

   Ward 312 (7028): 450 -- BMJ

[Wowbagger]

I Heimliched my older daughter when she was about 10. She had been eating some bacon and suddenly went very quiet (a rarity for her), stood up from the table and tried to reach down her own throat to pull out whatever the blockage was: a nice piece of bacon fat which had slithered neatly into her airways.

One squeeze and out it came.

[rae]

Ah, yes.

A friend of mine taught me to eat creme caramels with no hands.  A great party trick, lean down to the plate and just hoover the wobbly thing up. 

So I was practising one day, as you do.   Lean down, hoover up, and whack, an entire 250 gram pot in the lungs.   Didn't realise what had happened at first, but I soon realised that breathing was not an option.   Thankfully, Mrs rae, being medically trained, knew precisely what to do.

It is a bizarre thing blowing your nose several hours after the event and filling the handkerchief with creme caramel.

[Chris S]

Choking has been one of those unspoken nightmares in the back of my mind as the kids have grown up - probably because I choked twice as a child (once on a boiled sweet - Dad whacked me on the back and out the sweet shot, across the room, and second time on a huge mouthful of banana - I think I dealt with that one myself) and there have been one or two close calls.

Never been called on to do emergency intervention though.

[Wowbagger]

It is a bizarre thing blowing your nose several hours after the event and filling the handkerchief with creme caramel.

How environmentally aware - a prime example of recycling!

[Jezza]

We once had a dinner party where a rather bossy lady asked us all if we knew what to do if someone choked. I said I'd do the Heimlich manoeuvre, and gave a brief explanation as described in the OP.
"That is exactly what you should not do", she informed the table loudly.
"Well it saved my life when he did it on me," said my Dad.

Perhaps because of this, I didn't think twice when my girlfriend starting choking after hoovering up her noodle soup a bit quickly in a cafe in Laos. That was a more protracted affair, involving several abdominal thrusts in front of a crowd of gaping locals until she gave a cough and the errant piece of noodle flew out and landed with a splat on the floor. 

[Jaded]

It is a bizarre thing blowing your nose several hours after the event and filling the handkerchief with creme caramel.

Ah.

You've never had curried snot lumps then?

[Jaded]

To be a bit more serious, I've done it on my sister-in-law.

Came up the first time, which was nice as she is a bit bony.

[hellymedic]

I Heimliched my older daughter when she was about 10. She had been eating some bacon and suddenly went very quiet (a rarity for her), stood up from the table and tried to reach down her own throat to pull out whatever the blockage was: a nice piece of bacon fat which had slithered neatly into her airways.

One squeeze and out it came.

Wow bagger!

[tiermat]

When I did my pool lifeguard training we were told to be very very careful when carrying out the HM, as there is a risk, especially with the elderly and the young, that you could cause a broken rib.

Still if it's a choice between the person dieng there and then from apneae or them being able to breath but in pain until an ambulance arrives, I know which I would choose.

Just be aware if you carry it out on a stranger, and you break a rib, you MAY get sued....

[pcolbeck]

Had to do it to Mrs Pcolbeck in the middle of town years ago. She was eating chocolate peanuts I think and one of them went down the wrong way.

[Regulator]

I Heimliched my older daughter when she was about 10. She had been eating some bacon and suddenly went very quiet (a rarity for her), stood up from the table and tried to reach down her own throat to pull out whatever the blockage was: a nice piece of bacon fat which had slithered neatly into her airways.

One squeeze and out it came.

Wowolfbagger!

FTFY...

[PrettyBoyTim]

Last time I did some first aid training, they were quite wary of the Heimlich maneuver, as it can cause internal injuries. In fact they said that anyone who had had the maneuver performed on them should get medical attention to make sure they hadn't suffered an injury as a result.

Apparently it's important to tell the subject to cough (when you're choking you may actually forget to do that), get them to lean over and hit them hard on the back*. I guess the Heimlich is a kind of last resort after that.

* Don't take medical advice from me.

[Ian H]

I Heimliched my older daughter when she was about 10.

I heard it was Bobby Fischer's favourite winning manoeuvre in championship matches. A bit unfair to use it against a 10yr old..

[Charlotte]

When I did my pool lifeguard training we were told to be very very careful when carrying out the HM, as there is a risk, especially with the elderly and the young, that you could cause a broken rib.

Still if it's a choice between the person dieng there and then from apneae or them being able to breath but in pain until an ambulance arrives, I know which I would choose.

Just be aware if you carry it out on a stranger, and you break a rib, you MAY get sued....

Yes, you may.  But your chances of being successfully sued are quite minimal.  Although we don't have a good samaritan law in the UK yet, courts are reluctant to settle against someone acting in good faith.  Have a read of this.

Just remember; anyone you've used the HM on goes to hospital - no exceptions.

You don't know what damage you've done by HMing them and they need to be checked out by a pro ASAP.

[David Martin]

When I did my pool lifeguard training we were told to be very very careful when carrying out the HM, as there is a risk, especially with the elderly and the young, that you could cause a broken rib.

Still if it's a choice between the person dieng there and then from apneae or them being able to breath but in pain until an ambulance arrives, I know which I would choose.

Just be aware if you carry it out on a stranger, and you break a rib, you MAY get sued....

Yes, you may.  But your chances of being successfully sued are quite minimal.  Although we don't have a good samaritan law in the UK yet, courts are reluctant to settle against someone acting in good faith.  Have a read of this.

Just remember; anyone you've used the HM on goes to hospital - no exceptions.

You don't know what damage you've done by HMing them and they need to be checked out by a pro ASAP.

And as has been said upthread, there are other things to try first. HM is the last resort as it can be potentially damaging.

Get theee all to a proper first aid course.

..d