The Heimlich manoeuvre ‘isn’t the best way’ to save someone from choking as doctor urges people to try different method
You might think you know exactly what to do if someone is choking, after many of us have had the Heimlich manoeuvre drummed into us should the worst happen in front of you.
A medical expert has spoken out saying there's actually a better way we should try instead of the skill many people think of as the gold standard.
The method was first shared with the public back in 1974, so for decades it's been taught as the best way to help someone out.
The familiar technique involves holding someone from behind, similar to a bear hug, and pulling upwards and inwards sharply in order to try and bring up whatever is causing them to choke.
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It turns out that you might be doing more harm than good if you rush to someone's aid with this skill in mind, as it has been found to cause damage to the ribs and heart.
The Heimlich manoeuvre has also been found to cause tears in the stomach. Ouch.
A medical expert who specialises in what to do when emergency strikes, Grace Lawson, has now advised what we should be doing instead.
Grace, an lead EMT trainer with St John Ambulance, has a simpler method to try first which might help to dislodge the item that is causing the choking without causing excess damage.
The expert told The Mirror: “Going for back blows first is always a better option to start with and then moving onto abdominal thrusts," saying the typical bear-hug hold of the Heimlich 'can cause quite a lot of damage to the casualty'.
Communication is key, says Grace, and stresses how important it is to tell the person what you're doing.
She recommends 'asking them if they are choking just in case it might be something like a severe allergy which has caused their throat to swell — a different reason for obstruction', as in this case the Heimlich manoeuvre definitely isn't recommended.
Grace then recommends asking the patient to cough hard, to see if that will help to shift the object, adding: "If they can’t or the coughing is quite absent, then we would support them from the front across the shoulders and administer up to five back blows using the heel of your hand in between the shoulder blades."
It is these shoulder blows that are the recommended method above all.
Only if these blows aren't successful, says Grace, should you try the classic movements: “If it still hasn’t come out, then we do up to five of the abdominal thrusts. If that hasn’t worked, call an ambulance and repeat the process, so go back to back blows.”
Hopefully it's not something you ever have to try, but it's good to know just in case.
Topics: Health, Hacks, Life Hacks
Jen Thomas