What is the Heimlich maneuver?
The Heimlich abdominal percussion method, also known as the Heimlich maneuver, was invented by the American doctor Heimlich. In 1974, he first applied this method to successfully rescue a patient who suffered from suffocation due to food blocking the airway, and since then this method has been widely used all over the world, saving countless patients with acute respiratory tract foreign body blockage, so this method is known as the "hug of life".
Principles of the Heimlich maneuver
If the air valve is blocked by a foreign body, you can pinch and squeeze the balloon by hand, and the air in the balloon will move upwards under the pressure of the balloon, so as to flush out the foreign body blocking the air valve, which is the principle of the Hai's abdominal impact method.
When is the Heimlich maneuver needed?
Patients with a foreign body stuck in the throat cannot speak, breathe, or cough. At this point, people may grasp their throat with one or both hands, which is known as the "Heimlich" sign.
"Paper, Scissors, Rock, Paper"
Key points of the Heimlich maneuver
Scissors: Two fingers together, like a closed pair of scissors. The Heimlich maneuver involves placing pressure points two fingers above the navel by first finding the patient's navel and then placing two fingers together across the navel.
Stone: Make a fist with one hand and place the fist eye on the side of your thumb on the point of pressure.
Cloth: It refers to holding a fist with the other hand and then striking the patient's upper abdomen with upward and inward force.
Through the above formula, we can quickly memorize the technique and position of the Heimlich maneuver.
How to do it in different situations
1. Adult rescue methods (sober)
For children over one year of age and adults, the rescuer stands behind the patient, inserts one leg between the patient's legs in the front, lunges the front leg and straightens the back leg, and the patient leans forward with the upper body, using "rock-paper-scissors", and rapidly impacts upwards and inwards 5 times.
2. Adult self-help methods (borrowing)
What should you do when there is only one person? The same is to use "rock-paper-scissors", continuously and quickly impact backwards and upwards, or slightly bend down and lean on a fixed object, such as the edge of a table or the back of a chair, use the edge of the object to compress your upper abdomen, quickly impact upward, and repeat.
3. Adult rescue methods (unconscious)
Let the patient lie flat, first open the patient's airway, and then the rescuer rides on the patient's outer thigh, presses the two horizontal fingers on the navel with the palm of one hand, and overlaps the palms of the two hands, and continuously and forcefully impacts backward and upward.
4. Adult rescue methods (obesity, pregnant women)
For patients who are extremely obese and who have airway obstruction in the third trimester of pregnancy, the chest impingement method should be used in the same position, in the center of the lower sternum, towards the back of the chest.
5. Rescue methods for infants under one year old (infants and young children)
Fix the baby's head with one hand and its back down, keep the head low and feet high, use the palm of the other hand to continuously tap the midpoint of the scapular line 5 times, then reverse the baby to face up, keep the head low and feet high, immediately press the midpoint of the two nipple lines with the index finger and middle finger 5 times, and the two steps are repeatedly alternated.
Precautions
1. Quickly identify Heimlich signs, try Heimlich maneuver can not expel the foreign body, the patient's cough and dyspnea are still continuing, should be immediately sent to the hospital for emergency rescue or call 120 emergency number.
2. The positioning should be accurate "rock-paper-scissors" to avoid internal damage.