I was a little surprised to learn recently that the Heimlich Maneuver was only first described in 1974. How was an incident of choking dealt with prior to this time?
I think it was pretty common to pound someone on the back if they were choking–My grandparents did such when my Mom choked on a marble.
The Heimlich Manoevre isn;t taught by many first aid courses now because of the potential to do serious injury if the technique is slightly wrong. Thelaternbative technique is to bend the victim over a little at the waist and give a solid blow to the back between the shoulder blades. That’s the way choking was usuallt treated before the Heimlich manouvre was popuarised. It’s quite effective.
Is the Heimlich manoeuvre still taught where you are? The St John Ambulance first aid training courses in Australia emphatically instruct people **not ** to use it in cases of choking.
I don’t know; this question is based entirely on a random thought I had. I’m glad I asked, though, since apparently it’s potentially dangerous!
I believe its still taught by AHA with CPR for healthcare providers. I’m surprised to hear its fallen out of favor in some places. Before its use, the chances of dying from a foreign body aspiration were very high.
The back patting maneuver is not very effective.
I’d think the choice between risking injury using it and allowing someone to die from airway occlusion would be a no brainer.
I would still do it if I had no alternative.
I do understand the risk of xiphoid fracture, with subsequent paracardial tamponade. I guess you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t.
It was taught to us about a year ago in a Red Cross course. “Us” in this case is an office building emergency team - by no stretch of the imagination are any of us healthcare professionals.
Don’t recall if it was in last year’s class or another one in my past, but the “back pat” was described as tending to cause the foreign body to fall farther into the lungs, rather than come out.
It’s still part of the ARC CPR training. The finger sweep, back-blows, abdominal thrust series is employed for unresponisve parties.
IIRC, the Red Cross was very reluctant to accept the Heimlich Maneuver, so much so that their instructions refused to acknowlege it until long after it was accepted by medical authorities. Then, the added it – but only if other methods didn’t work. I wouldn’t be surprised if that attitude still remains.