National Heimlich Manoeuvre Day is on June 1, and we are preparing to recognise an essential technique that can save a person from suffocating. The Heimlich manoeuvre is fundamentally an abdominal thrust in which the fist is placed slightly above the navel of the choking individual. Then, with your other hand, you clasp your fist and push it inward and upward to expel the object from the choking individual’s airway.
The background of National Heimlich Maneuver Day
Dr. Henry J. Heimlich invented these life-saving abdominal thrusts after reading an article in “The New York Times” not too long ago. According to the article, more than 3,000 Americans perished of choking in 1972. Prior to that time, slapping a choking person on the back was a common method of resuscitation. However, several physicians warned that this technique could cause more harm than good, as it could push the object further down and cause more damage.
This prompted Dr. Heimlich to develop an enhanced method for assisting choking victims that could be performed by anyone, not just medical professionals. He published his unofficial findings in an article titled “Pop Goes the Café Coronary” in an issue of “Emergency Medicine”; this is now known as the Heimlich manoeuvre.
The Heimlich manoeuvre has saved numerous lives throughout the years. Doctors advise that this method should only be used on conscious patients, and that you should dial 9-1-1 before beginning the manoeuvre. It is remarkable to learn that Dr. Heimlich saved a woman in a nursing home at the age of 96 using the Heimlich manoeuvre.
National Heimlich Manoeuvre Day is significant because it saves countless lives. The day also marks the beginning of National Safety Month. We can all make a deliberate decision to learn more about the method and educate others so that we are prepared the next time a choking emergency occurs.
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5 IMPORTANT FACTS YOU MUST KNOW ABOUT CHOKING
Rapid oxygen deprivation to the lungs can be fatal within minutes for a victim who is suffocating.
A person experiences choking when an object becomes lodged in his or her airway.
Common risk factors for choking in adults are improperly chewed food, alcohol consumption, and inadequate dental fittings.
The most obvious symptoms of choking are coughing, gagging, inability to speak, wheezing, and throat grasping.
Instead of a back strike, the abdominal thrusts of the Heimlich manoeuvre should be used in the event of a choking emergency.
NATIONAL HEIMLICH MANEUVER DAY DATES
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | June 1 | Thursday |
| 2024 | June 1 | Saturday |
| 2025 | June 1 | Sunday |
| 2026 | June 1 | Monday |
| 2027 | June 1 | Tuesday |
