Basic Life Saving Skills You Need to Know – Part 2: Heimlich Maneuver
In our previous blog, we have discussed the importance of CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) in saving a life especially in cases of cardiac arrest. Now, we will discuss and equally important emergency lifesaving skill called Heimlich maneuver.
What is Heimlich Maneuver?
It is a rescue procedure administer to choking person due to a foreign object. Heimlich maneuver is the procedure when the rescuer places a fist between the victim’s lower ribs or upper abdomen from behind. Then, he exerts sudden pressure in the form of thrusts. The pressure and the force applied to the abdomen creates an artificial cough that helps in ejecting the object from the windpipe.
Why is it important?
Incidents of choking are like a thief in the night. There is a small percentage that this will occur to you and to your family members, but it could be lethal when no one’s trained to give you’re a Heimlich maneuver. In just a minute, a person could be unconscious. With the 5th minute range, the person could suffer neural damage because of the lack of oxygen in the brain. In the same time frame, the patient’s heart will stop because of the blockage of the windpipe. Reaching this part is already lethal unless someone will administer a Heimlich maneuver.
How to administer Heimlich?
Below are the insightful steps from emedicinehealth.com on how to do abdominal thrust in different situations and different types of victims:
Lean the person forward slightly and stand behind him or her. Make a fist with one hand. Put your arms around the person and grasp your fist with your other hand in the midline just below the ribs. Make a quick, hard movement inward and upward in an attempt to assist the person in coughing up the object. This maneuver should be repeated until the person is able to breathe or loses consciousness. (See diagram in the pictures section.)
* If the person loses consciousness gently lay him or her flat on their back on the floor. To clear the airway, kneel next to the person and put the heel of your hand against the middle of the abdomen, just below the ribs. Place your other hand on top and press inward and upward five times with both hands. If the airway clears and the person is still unresponsive, begin CPR.
* For babies (younger than one year of age), the child will be too small for abdominal thrusts to be successful. Instead, the infant should be picked up and five back blows should be administered, followed by five chest thrusts. Be careful to hold the infant with the head angled down to let gravity assist with clearing the airway. Also be careful to support the infant’s head. If the infant turns blue or becomes unresponsive, CPR should be administered.
When in doubt…
If you are in doubt about what to do, and you are witnessing someone choking, call for emergency help immediately, do not delay. You may be able to successfully stop the choking before help arrives using techniques discussed here, but it is best for the choking person to be evaluated by the emergency medical team when they arrive. If something is still in the person’s throat, the emergency medical team can begin care immediately and take the person to the hospital for further treatment.
Variations of abdominal thrusts for special circumstances
* The victim is seated: The maneuver may be performed with the victim seated. In this instance, the back of the chair acts as a support for the victim. The rescuer still wraps his or her arms around the victim and proceeds as described above. The rescuer will often have to kneel down. In the event that the back of the chair the victim is sitting in is too high, either stand the victim up or rotate the victim 90 degrees so that the back of the chair is now to one side of the victim.
* For small rescuers and large victims, particularly children rescuing an adult: Instead of standing behind the victim, have the victim lie down on his or her back. Straddle the victim’s waist. Place one hand on the belly, halfway between the belly button and the edge of the breastbone. Thrust inward and upward. This is the same technique used in unconscious people.
* Pregnant/obese people: Abdominal thrusts may not be effective in people who are in the later stages of pregnancy or who are obese. Thus, chest thrusts can be administered. For the conscious person sitting or standing, take the following steps:
* Place your hands under the victim’s armpits.
* Wrap your arms around the victim’s chest.
* Place the thumb side of your fist on the middle of the breastbone.
* Grab your fist with your other hand and thrust backward.You have to continue this until the object is expelled or until the person becomes unconscious.
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The rule for basic life support is to provide initial aid to keep the patient alive until the medical help arrives. That, in itself, makes it a life-saving skill that doesn’t require a medical degree.
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