The Heimlich Maneuver Research Paper

Over 4000 people die a year in the U.S. from choking. This includes two classes of people, children and adults each with their own common cause. For children its small toys/objects and for adults, mainly elderlies, its food. No matter what the cause, the Heimlich maneuver is the best and most accepted procedure for reversing the effects of choking. Developed by Dr. Henry Heimlich in 1974, the Heimlich maneuver has saved over 50,000 lives since its conception. It’s divided into three different procedures, each carefully created to help the affected in the healthiest way possible. The most commonly used of those three is his original method; this is due to the large group of adults and children who choke in the presence of another person.
The first step in this life-saving method is to determine if a person is truly choking. Identifying this is important because if a person is choking and someone does not realize then that person dies from the obstruction. There are few calling signs one can look for to determine if someone is choking, initially you would see their hands around their neck, they cannot speak, and they have an inability to cough. After an extended period choking, one would see loss of consciousness, blue or gray lips, and fingernail beds. No matter what time stage of choking …show more content…
This helps to eliminate the panic that the person is in from this unnatural phenomenon. By eliminating the panic, it is then easier for you to perform the rest of the Heimlich maneuver to dislodge the obstruction. Now that you have calmed the person down you can assist them to the standing for easier removal of the lodged item. If however, the person is unable, given the circumstance, to stand up the rest of the maneuver, it can be performed in a sitting position once the rescuers hands have a clear area to perform the hand