Heimlich Maneuver: How to save a choking victim

Quick thinking and the right first-aid techniques can save lives in emergency cases.

Take what happened to a young boy in Bulan, Sorsogon, who accidentally swallowed a P5 coin.

The coin got stuck in his throat, and he had to be sent to the hospital for treatment. 

In cases like this, what steps should be done to save a choking victim?

The answer is a technique called the “Heimlich Maneuver.”

According to the First Aid Training Cooperative UK, the Heimlich Maneuver is a well-known technique used to dislodge objects or food stuck in a person’s throat and blocking their airways.

It was invented by Henry Heimlich, an American thoracic surgeon, in 1974.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, here are the steps to perform the Heimlich Maneuver:

• Stand behind the person and put your arms around their belly (abdomen).
• Make a fist with one hand and clasp your other hand tightly around it.
• Place the thumb side of your fist just below their ribcage and about two inches above their belly button (navel).
• Sharply and quickly thrust your hands inward and upward five times.
• Repeat this process until you free (dislodge) the object stuck in their windpipe, or the person becomes unconscious. If the person becomes unconscious, start CPR.

—VBL, GMA News