How to Perform the Heimlich Maneuver

Guide Note

Few things are more frightening than seeing a friend or loved one in a potentially life-threatening situation. Choking can occur at any time, and the victim may only have a short time to live. But if you know How to Perform the Heimlich Maneuver, you can save another person's life—or maybe even your own.

Table of Contents

Heimlich Maneuver Tips
  1. Be certain the victim is choking before implementing the maneuver.
  2. Can cause injuries if performed incorrectly.
  3. Victim should seek medical attention after receiving the maneuver.

Disclaimer

The content in this page is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please contact your doctor before using the information presented here.

Introduction

  • In 1974, Dr. Henry Heimlich first made known a technique that he had innovated to save choking victims.1 Since then, the "Heimlich maneuver" has become known throughout the world and has been made famous in TV, movies and commercials.2 It's a simple maneuver that can be performed by anyone and can save a life.

Step 1: Assess the Situation

(Creative Commons photo by David Sifry)
(Creative Commons photo by David Sifry)
  • When faced with a choking victim, your first impulse might be to immediately get behind the person and start the maneuver, but that's not always the best idea. As with any medical emergency, a calm, well-reasoned assessment is often a better course of action than hasty action.
  1. First of all, make sure the victim is actually choking and not experiencing some other breathing problem, such as an asthma attack. Signs of choking include:3
    • Inability to speak
    • Wheezing, high-pitched cough
    • Victim is not breathing
    • Victim's skin is turning blue (from lack of oxygen)
    • Victim's hand grabbing at throat
    • Victim falls unconscious
  2. If you can, ask the victim to nod if he or she is choking.
  3. Of course, choking is more likely to happen during activities such as eating.
  4. Young children may also choke on small objects they place in their mouths, like toy blocks or marbles.
  5. Do not slap the victim hard on the back, as this is just as likely to drive the blockage further into the throat as it is to dislodge it.4

Step 2: Perform the Maneuver on an Adult

  • Once you're certain the victim is choking, it's time to take quick and decisive action and perform the Heimlich maneuver (sometimes referred to as "abdominal thrusts").5 A delay of just a few seconds can mean the difference between life and death.
  • WARNING: Performing the Heimlich maneuver can result in broken ribs and other serious abdominal injuries.6 You should only perform the maneuver if you are certain the victim's life is in peril.
  1. First and foremost, try to stay calm and act in a rational and clear-headed manner.
  2. Get the victim in a standing position and position yourself behind him or her.7
  3. Make a fist with one hand and reach around the victim, pressing it up against the victim's abdomen between the bellybutton and the bottom of the ribcage.
  4. Your thumb should be on the inside, up against the victim's abdomen.
  5. Cover your fist with your other hand.
  6. Perform a series of quick, upward thrusts; this should force air through the lungs and (hopefully) up through the throat to dislodge the blockage.8
  7. Continue in this manner until the blockage is expelled through the victim's mouth.
  8. Hold on to the victim for a while after dislodging the blockage, as he or she may fall (or already be) unconscious.9
  9. If the maneuver is not successful in relieving the victim's choking and the victim falls unconscious, call for help.10 You may need to start performing CPR.

Step 3: Perform the Maneuver on an Infant

(Creative Commons photo by Jennifer R.)
(Creative Commons photo by Jennifer R.)
  • The preceding section instructed you on how to perform the Heimlich maneuver on an adult or child. You can also perform the maneuver on a very young child, but, because of their fragility, greater care must be taken.5
  1. Unlike an adult, an infant can't tell you he or she is choking, though the nonverbal signs (inability to breathe, skin turning blue, a wheezing cough) are the same.11
  2. Lay the victim on a table or the floor or put the victim on your lap, facing away from you.
  3. Take your middle and index fingers (both hands) and place them below the sternum (breastbone).12
  4. Gently but firmly, push upwards with your fingers.
  5. Do not compress the ribcage.
  6. Repeat this process until the choking hazard has been expelled.

Step 4: Perform the Heimlich Maneuver on Yourself

(Creative Commons photo by Starck Ting)
(Creative Commons photo by Starck Ting)
  1. Make a fist with one hand and press it up against your abdomen between the bellybutton and the bottom of the ribcage.
  2. Cover your fist with your other hand.
  3. Perform a series of quick, upward thrusts; this should force air through the lungs and (hopefully) up through the throat to dislodge the blockage.
  4. Alternatively, find a sturdy, straight-edged object at about waist height (such as the back of a chair), and press it against your abdomen.14
  5. Thrust yourself onto the object quickly and forcefully in the effort to dislodge the blockage.
  6. Either method can inflict a significant amount of pain, but it's better than the alternative!15
  7. After you are finished, seek medical help.

Conclusion

  • The Heimlich maneuver can make the difference between life and death. The best thing about it is that it requires no special training, so anyone—maybe even you—can save a life.

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References for How To Perform the Heimlich Maneuver

  1. ↑ Wikipedia: Henry Heimlich
  2. ↑ Video: RBS - Heimlich Maneuver (Time: 0:30)
  3. ↑ Revolution Health: Signs of Choking
  4. ↑ The New York Times: Don't Slap a Choker on the Back (July 12, 1988)
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 The Heimlich Institute: How to Do the Heimlich Maneuver
  6. ↑ NCBI: Rupture of the lesser gastric curvature after a Heimlich maneuver
  7. ↑ MSN Encarta: Heimlich Maneuver - Picture
  8. ↑ American Heart Association: Heimlich Maneuver
  9. ↑ eHow.com: How to Do the Heimlich Maneuver
  10. ↑ American Heart Association: Relief of Choking in Children
  11. ↑ Baby Weekly: Infant Heimlich Maneuver and CPR
  12. ↑ Wikipedia: Sternum
  13. ↑ eHow.com: How to Perform the Heimlich Maneuver on Yourself
  14. ↑ The New York Times: Heimlich Maneuver on Oneself
  15. ↑ Wikipedia: Choking

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