How to Perform the Heimlich Maneuver (Abdominal Thrusts)

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Abdominal thrusts—also known as the Heimlich maneuver—can be used to expel a foreign object lodged in a choking victim's windpipe.

Warning
Never practice the Heimlich maneuver on an infant under a year old or on a person who is not choking. You could cause serious injury.

Step 1: Confirm choking
Confirm the victim is choking. If they are coughing, they are not choking – yet – so encourage them to continue. Signs of choking include the universal hand sign of clutching one's hands to the throat; the inability to cough or speak; labored or noisy breathing; bluish skin, lips, and nails; and loss of consciousness.

Tip
Don't slap a coughing person on the back – it doesn't help and can make them start to choke.

Step 2: Call 911
Once you determine the person is choking, act quickly but calmly. First, send someone to call 911.

Step 3: Help the victim stand
Help the victim stand, if they're not already on their feet, and stand behind them with your chest to their back.

Step 4: Wrap your arms around the victim
Wrap your arms around the victim's torso, making a fist with your dominant hand, and center it against the victim's upper abdomen, thumb inward, above the navel and below the rib cage. With your other hand, cover your fist for support.

Tip
If you cannot reach your arms around their abdomen or if the victim is pregnant, compress their chest between the breasts at the breastbone. Make firm, backward thrusts.

Step 5: Thrust inward and upward
Quickly thrust inward and slightly upward with your fist, as if you're trying to lift the victim off their feet, causing air to rush out of their lungs.

Tip
Don't squeeze the rib cage as you thrust upward. Otherwise you could break a bone.

Step 6: Repeat
Repeat the thrusts until the object dislodges, or the victim loses consciousness.

Step 7: Wait for medical help
If the object does not come free and the victim loses consciousness, proceed with CPR until EMTs arrive.

Step 8: Save yourself
To perform the Heimlich maneuver on yourself, lean your upper abdomen over a hard horizontal surface (such as a railing or the back of a chair) and use it to deliver strong, upward thrusts.

Did You Know?
Besides inventing the famous abdominal maneuver, Dr. Henry Heimlich also invented a chest valve that saved thousands of wounded soldiers in Vietnam.

[Altairific]

A 30 seconds unskippable ad? Good bye world

[SuperCompany]

Skip to 1:05 If your friend is chocking. Skip to 2:00 If you are chocking right now and have no one to help you.

[captainzeppos]

RIP Dr. Heimlich. Your maneuver saved countless lives.

[Owen_loves_Butters]

“If they are coughing, they are not choking”

This is SO IMPORTANT. And is NEVER TALKED ABOUT. Do NOT do this on a person who is COUGHING. Coughing means the airway is STILL PARTIALLY OPEN.

[Misery]

The part in the video where the woman was choking alone and thrusted her stomach into the table is what i did to dislodge a huge chunk of steak that was stuck in my throat. I didn't know this method worked but at this point i was blacking out cause i wasnt breathing for about a min and said to myself "If im gonna die i gotta atleast try to see if slamming my gut into my kitchen counter will dislodge it thankfully it did. The most scariest brush with death ive ever had in my life.

[JulieWallis]

“Otherwise you _could_ break a if I’m choking, I’d happily tolerate a broken rib or three if it saves my life!!

[plagick]

If I had to watch an advertisement before I could find out on YouTube how to give the Heimlich maneuver her I would be really upset. There is some responsibility to have the top video in this situation

[RABtoons]

This video took to long my friend died while I was watching it...good job!

[ThatDangerousWolf]

I’ve lived alone for almost ten years and this is one thing I fear. Thank you for this

[candyboy]

the self Heimlich is a big deal. thank you for showing that.

[kevinmireles]

POV: You died waiting for the ads to end

[littlecoley]

0:45 He looks very levelheaded about his impending death at the hands of his clueless friends. I love how the girl tries to offer him some wine.

[samuraikitty]

Everyone should know how to do this! My mom saved my life earlier this year...got to that point where I couldn't breathe, I was passing out. She saved my life. Also have done the self chair maneuver to myself a couple times when stuff wasn't going up or down. I know, I really need to learn how to eat...

[lamcnair]

You put both hands on the stomach high up just under the ribs, while standing behind them. Make a fist with one hand and put the other hand over the fist, then push into the stomach hard and fast. Be ready to do it several times until the person can breath again. It's easy.
Never hesitate to do this to someone who is choking. Do it right away.

[remoteflying]

very very irresponsible to have ads on this video

[Ozziedots]

I inhaled a tiny piece of salad at a dinner party and thank heavens one guy there knew the heimlich because I was just about to pass out from not being able to breathe. He did it about 5 times and the blockage flew out and I took a giant breath and was shaking all over.At the time I didn't know you can do the heimlich on yourself. He saved my life by using it

[Shrimp_Insurance]

1:06 "Could you go a little faster bro?"

[dk]

slapping on the back was revised in 2006, it is now recommended to give 5 backblows before attempting the maneuver.

[TN-fkzc]

I got severe anxiety watching this. Lol

[mathru]

A friend of my dad died in a restaurant recently because no one knew the maneuver in the room. She was 45. Had I been there I could have done it. It's sad to know that her death could have been prevented if at least one person had done something.