Heimlich Maneuver: What It Is And How Is It Practiced

The Heimlich maneuver is applied differently in adults and children. With the little ones, great care must be taken not to hurt them. We tell you everything about this technique.

The Heimlich maneuver is a first aid procedure to help a person with asphyxia from choking. The technique seeks to unblock the airway, temporarily blocked.

This maneuver is also called abdominal compression , and it was first described by Dr. Henry Heimlich in 1974. At first it was applied to those who had drowning or asthma attacks. At present its use is recommended only in cases of severe airway obstruction, which is characterized by the inability of the person to emit any sound or noise.

Next, we delve more about the preventions that must be taken and what is the appropriate way to perform this technique.

Choking and choking symptoms prevention

It is always better to be safe, especially with younger children. If they are under 4 years old, small objects such as coins, marbles, tacks, etc. should not be left within their reach. It is also not recommended that they are in motion when they have something between their mouths.

Choking can be prevented in adults by cutting all foods into small pieces. Also chewing slowly, especially if the person has dentures.

When a person has a blocked airway, they show some signs. These indicate that the Heimlich maneuver should be applied. These signals are the following:

• He grabs his throat.
• You cannot cough.
• The skin on the face appears bluish or bright red.
• I can not speak.
• He whistles when he tries to breathe.

The Heimlich maneuver in adults

In all cases, the choking person should be asked to remain calm. In the same way, inform him that the Heimlich maneuver will be practiced. If the person is standing, what should be done is to stand behind him and wrap his arms around his waist. One of the hands should be located below the rib cage and above the navel. The hand should be closed into a fist and covered with the other.

Then, the person’s abdomen should be pressed hard, making an inward and upward movement, quickly. It is better to do these compressions 5 times in a row, very quickly. If the person is still choking, they should be patted five times on the back, between the shoulder blades.

This same procedure should be done even if the person is alone. It can be done with your fist, as described above, or by pressing against a firm, flat surface, such as a table.

The Heimlich maneuver in children

Children, particularly those under 1 year of age, require special care. The child should be placed on his lap and made to bend his body so that his face is down. The head should be lower than the feet and the jaw and head of the child should be supported.

Next, it is necessary to hit the upper part of the back, between the shoulder blades, with the base of the palm of the hand. These should be fast, but smooth so as not to hurt you.

If the child does not expel what is gagging, turn it over so that it is on its back. Next, place your fingers on the bottom of the breastbone and perform five compressions. If this does not work, it is necessary to take him immediately to an emergency department. Remember that these types of situations are life threatening.

Possible complications

Finally, it is worth clarifying that, although this maneuver is considered important to save lives, it can also cause abdominal injuries, such as fracture of the ribs, due to the force used to perform the technique.