Heimlich Maneuver News and Research

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Heimlich maneuver or abdominal thrusts is a technique used to relieve choking victims. The aim of the procedure is to dislodge a foreign object that is blocking the airway of the victim. It is named after the physician Henry J Heimlich who invented the technique in the 1970s.

Addressing the critical issues in trauma situation

Though it's difficult to think about, what we would do in the event of a violent attack has probably crossed most of our minds, especially as the number and scope of these tragic events has risen in recent years.

24 Aug 2020

How to save a choking Senator: Heimlich heirs, Red Cross disagree on technique

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) found herself in a dangerous situation last month when she started choking during a Democratic members' luncheon. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) swooped in, grabbed her around the middle and squeezed her, performing the Heimlich maneuver to dislodge the food.

25 Jul 2018

As surgery centers boom, patients are paying with their lives

The surgery went fine. Her doctors left for the day. Four hours later, Paulina Tam started gasping for air.

6 Mar 2018

Poll: Some parents may take children to ER for common situations that could be handled at home

If a child gets a small burn from a hot pan, starts choking or swallows medication, parents may struggle to decide whether to provide first aid at home or rush them to the hospital, suggests a new national poll.

16 Oct 2017

New set of practice guidelines from WMS may help in treatment, prevention of drowning

Drowning is a global threat to human health. Each year, more than 372,000 people die as a result of drowning, with many of those deaths being preventable by simple water safety measures. In order to arm professionals with the most up-to-date clinical protocols, the Wilderness Medical Society has issued a new set of practice guidelines for both the treatment and prevention of drowning, published in the society's official journal, Wilderness and Environmental Medicine.

10 May 2016

Children's favorite foods can pose choking hazards

Most parents never dream that their children's favorite foods can pose choking hazards. It happened to Landon Jones when he was 15 months old. He was walking around eating a handful of nuts when a cashew became lodged in his bronchi (wind passage to his lung) causing wheezing and coughing.

30 Jul 2014

Caregiver's guide on avoiding life-threatening swallowing problems

That's the message of Drs. Roya Sayadi and Joel Herskowitz. They are a wife-husband team from Natick, Massachusetts, who are spreading the word that swallowing problems are everywhere - and they can be deadly!

10 Jun 2010

Gasping a good sign in sudden cardiac arrest

People who witness an individual collapse suddenly and unexpectedly should perform uninterrupted chest compressions even if the patient gasps or breathes in a funny way, research from the Resuscitation Research Group at The University of Arizona Sarver Heart Center shows.

24 Nov 2008