Content

• Steps
• Warning

When you see someone choking, it is important to know how to help the victim. The Heimlich (abdominal press) test is an emergency technique that can save a person's life in seconds. This is a simple move that helps to knock food or foreign objects out of the choking person's airway by increasing pressure in the abdomen and chest to expel the object.

Steps

Method 1 of 4: Perform the Heimlich maneuver while standing

1. 

   Determine if the person is really choking. Choking victims often use their hands to hold their throat. If you see a person making this gesture, look for other signs that the person is choking. You should only do the Heimlich maneuver on someone who is choking. Notice the following manifestations of the victim:
   • Not being able to breathe or breathing heavily and wheezing
   • Can't say
   • Cough is not normal
   • Blue or gray lips and nails
   • Fainting

2. 

   
   
   Let the victim know that you are about to have Heimlich therapy. Tell the choking person you want to help them, tell them you know how to do the Heimlich and are going to do it with them.

3. 

   Wrap arms around the victim's waist. Stand with legs stretched out in a steady position. Gently wrap both arms around the victim's waist, allowing them to lean forward slightly.

4. 

   
   
   Put your hands in place. Put one hand into a fist, any hand is fine. Place the fist below the victim's chest and above the navel, and wrap the other hand around the fist.

5. 

   Do a series of abdominal presses. To expel the object, press hard and quickly into the diaphragm in an upward direction, like you're trying to lift the victim off the ground.
   • Press fast and hard.
   • Perform a sequence of 5 quick pushes. If the foreign object is not ejected, press 5 more times.

6. 

   
   
   Do a back pat. If the foreign body has not been knocked back after the Heimlich maneuver, do a back pat. Pat 5 times on the back of the victim using the palm rest. Aim for the area between your shoulder blades.
   • Press down strongly if you need to use strong force to push the object out. However, keep the force in your hand, not against the person's ribs or abdomen.

7. 

   Call emergency services. Call an ambulance if you cannot get the object out. It's best to get someone to call for an ambulance after the Heimlich test has not worked and you are doing another back pat. When the ambulance staff arrives, they will have a way to remove the foreign body. At this point, you should step aside. advertisement

Method 2 of 4: Perform a Heimlich maneuver while lying down

1. 

   Have the victim lie on his back. Lie down if you cannot put your arm around the person or if they fall. Gently instruct the person to lie on their back and help them if necessary.

2. 

   Kneel at hip level. Get on your knees and bend above the victim, at their hip level.

3. 

   Put your hands in place. Place one hand on top of the other. Place the lower part of the palm on the diaphragm of the victim. This is the area below the chest and above the navel.

4. 

   Press hands on the victim's diaphragm. Using body weight, press hands into the diaphragm with a little upward movement. Repeat this movement until the object has popped out of the victim's throat.

5. 

   Call emergency services. Call ambulance right away if you cannot expel the object with the Heimlich maneuver. If you find a person choking and cannot help, seek medical attention to help remove the foreign body. When the emergency workers arrive, answer their questions and let them help the victim. advertisement

Method 3 of 4: Perform a Heimlich maneuver on a newborn

1. 

   Keep the newborn baby on his stomach. First, you need to find a sturdy plane. Place your baby on his stomach on a flat surface, making sure his head is facing sideways to breathe. Get on your knees near the child's feet.
   • You can also lay your baby on his stomach on your lap.

2. 

   Quickly pat the child's back 5. Use the palm of your hand to quickly tap the area between the child's shoulder blades. Hopefully the foreign object will pop out quickly.
   • With infants, you need to pat firmly, but not with strong force. Be careful not to press too hard, as babies can be hurt if they are hit hard. Gravity combined with back flapping will create enough force to knock the object out.

3. 

   Turn the child over. If the foreign object does not pop out, turn the child over. Support the baby's head with one hand, so that the baby's head is slightly lower than the legs.

4. 

   Press the baby's chest 5 times. Place the fingers on the lower half of the breastbone. Remember to put your hand in the middle of the sternum, not to the side. Press down 5 times in a row. Stop pressing your chest when you see an object pop out.

5. 

   Call emergency services if the object is not ejected. Call 911 immediately if the object does not pop out. In the meantime, repeat the back patting and chest compressions. With luck, the foreign body may be ejected as you repeat these steps while waiting for emergency personnel to arrive. advertisement

Method 4 of 4: Perform the Heimlich maneuver on your own

1. 

   Clench your hands into fists. First, you should make a hand into a fist, any hand can do.

2. 

   Place the fist on the diaphragm. Place the fist on your abdomen, the side with the thumb close to your abdomen. The position of the hand is below the chest and above the navel. The other hand surrounds the fist.

3. 

   Press on the diaphragm. Press your hands against the diaphragm repeatedly until the foreign object pops out. Press quickly and upwards to try to push the object out.

4. 

   See a doctor. See a doctor after you've saved yourself from choking. Your doctor will check to make sure you are not hurt. Call 115 or go to the emergency room if you choke and can't get the object out. advertisement

Warning

• If you don't know what to do, call the emergency number. They can teach you what to do to help the victim (turn on the speaker to talk).
• Choking is a dangerous life-threatening condition. Take action quickly if you notice someone choking.
• Do not try to pat a choking victim if they are coughing! Coughing is a sign that the victim is only partially choking, and patting the back can completely block the airway as the object is pushed deeper. You just let the victim cough; When you see signs of choking, you should intervene.