Abdominal thrusts may not be the most effective way to save someone who is choking, experts have warned.
Instead, hitting someone in the back, between the shoulder blades, can still generate enough pressure to dislodge something stuck in people’s airways.
The method is also ‘less invasive’ than the much-lauded Heimlich maneuver, which can help prevent serious complications such as rib damage.
Experts at St John Ambulance believe the new information may in fact save many lives.
New guidelines that illustrate how to deal with choking when nobody else is around should be provided, they have also argued.
Performing abdominal thrusts when you suspect someone is choking could cause damage to the heart, ribs and stomach, paramedics say.
Grace Lawson, a lead trainer with St John Ambulance, told The Mirror that abdominal thrusts ‘can cause quite a lot of damage to the casualty’.
As well as rib damage, research has long shown other complications can include damage to the heart valves and ruptures in the stomach and food pipe.
Alternatively, ‘we start by asking them if they are choking just in case it might be something like a severe allergy which has caused their throat to swell — a different reason for obstruction’, Ms Lawson added.
‘We would ask them if they can cough to see if they can get it out themselves.
‘If they can’t or the coughing is quite absent, then we would support them from the front across the shoulders and administer up to five back blows using the heel of your hand in between the shoulder blades.
‘If it still hasn’t come out then we do up to five of the abdominal thrusts, and if that hasn’t worked, call an ambulance and then just repeat the process.
Hitting a patient on the back can generate enough pressure to dislodge something stuck in people’s airways, paramedics claim. The method is also ‘less invasive’ than the much-lauded Heimlich maneuver, which can help prevent serious complications such as rib damage
‘Going for back blows first is always a better option to start off with and then moving onto abdominal thrusts.
‘It’s less invasive and it can still clear the obstruction.’
Emergency responders say every second counts during an emergency and can make the difference between life and death.
For example, when the heart stops, it takes less than five minutes for brain cells to die because of a lack of oxygen.
The longer it takes to resuscitate a patient, the higher the likelihood of severe brain damage and death.
Figures suggest that around 270 people die in the UK each year from choking — despite being completely preventable.
The Heimlich manoeuvre is often recommended when a patient is choking on food or other objects, and their airway is obstructed.
Usually, a first-aider would place their arms around the choking person from behind, and pull upwards and inwards on the abdomen below the ribcage.
The pressure from this movement can usually expel the obstruction, allowing the patient to breathe again.
