Heimlich maneuver: what it is and how to do it (with video)

The Heimlich maneuver is a first aid technique used in cases of emergency by asphyxiation, caused by a piece of food or any type of foreign body that gets stuck in the airways, preventing the person from breathing.

In this maneuver, hands are used to put pressure on the choked person's diaphragm, which causes a forced cough, which causes the object to be expelled from the lungs. It was invented by the American doctor Henry Heimlich, in 1974, and can be practiced by anyone, as long as the guidelines are correctly followed:

See the possible causes when the person chokes frequently.

What to do before the maneuver

After detecting that the person cannot breathe properly, due to a choking, the first step is to ask them to cough hard and then apply 5 dry strokes to the back with the base of one hand. If this is not enough, you must prepare to apply the Heimlich maneuver, which can be done in 3 ways:

1. In the agreed person

This is the traditional Heimlich maneuver, being the main way to perform the technique. The step-by-step consists of:

Position yourself behind the victim, involving the arms; Close one hand, with the fist tightly closed and the thumb on top, and position it in the upper abdomen, between the navel and the rib cage; Place the other hand on the closed fist, gripping it firmly; Pull both hands inwards and upwards. If this region is difficult to access, as can happen in obese or pregnant women in the last few weeks, one option is to locate your hands on your chest; Repeat the maneuver for up to 5 times in a row, observing if the object was expelled and if the victim breathes.

Most of the time, these steps are sufficient for the object to be expelled, however, in some cases, the victim may continue to be unable to breathe properly and eventually pass out. In this case, the maneuver adapted for the person passed out must be performed.

2. In the person passed out

When the person is unconscious or passed out, and with the airways blocked, the Heimlich maneuver should be abandoned and medical assistance should be called immediately, followed by cardiac massage for basic life support.

Normally, the pressure caused by the cardiac massage can also lead to the exit of the object that is causing the obstruction, while keeping the blood circulating through the body, increasing the chances of survival.

See step-by-step instructions to do cardiac massage correctly.

3. In person

It is possible for a person to choke while being alone, and if it does, it is possible to apply the Heimlich maneuver to yourself. In this case, the maneuver must be carried out as follows:

Clench the fist of the dominant hand and position it on the upper part of the abdomen, between the navel and the end of the rib cage; Hold this hand with the non-dominant hand, obtaining better support; Push both hands inwards and upwards with force and quickly.

Repeat the movement as many times as necessary, but if it is not effective, the maneuver should be done with more force, using the support of a firm and stable object, which reaches the waist region, such as a chair or a counter. Thus, with the hands still on the abdomen, the body must be pushed hard against the object.

What to do in case of choked baby

If the baby suffers a serious choking with an object or food that prevents him from breathing, the maneuver is done differently. The first step is to lay the child on the arm with the head a little lower than the trunk and see if there is any object in his mouth that can be removed.

Otherwise, and she is still choking, you should lean her over, with your belly on your arm, with your torso lower than your legs, and give 5 slaps with the base of your hand on your back. If it is still not enough, the child should be turned to the front, still on the arm, and make compressions with the middle and annular fingers on the child's chest, in the region between the nipples.

For more details on how to ungain the baby, check out what to do if the baby chokes.