Choking? Do the Heimlich on yourself

PEOPLE who start choking should perform the Heimlich manoeuvre – on themselves.

By using a chair or their own arm, adults can generate enough pressure to dislodge an object stuck in the airway, doctors say.

The DIY Heimlich method can be even more effective than being given the standard treatment from a first-aider.

It is safe for pregnant women, who have to be given a modified version of the lifesaving technique to avoid harming their unborn child.

Researchers at the Royal Brompton Hospital in Chelsea, West London, believe the new advice could save many lives.

Study author Dr Nick Hopkinson said deaths from choking are almost entirely preventable, adding: ‘People need to know what to do if they are with someone who is choking or what to do if they are choking.

‘There may be only a few minutes to save a life. We would like to see the self-administered technique taught on first aid courses and in schools. Posters in every restaurant and training for restaurant staff could help save lives.’

The conventional Heimlich manoeuvre sees a first-aider place their arms around the choking person from behind, pulling upwards and inwards below the ribcage.

The NHS advises standing slightly to one side and leaning the patient over.

Researchers swallowed two special pressure catheters to test the technique using three different methods – administered by someone else, self-performed using a chair and self-performed using an arm.

The findings, published in the journal Thorax, found the chair thrust created even more pressure on the oesophagus than the conventional Heimlich.

Co-author Professor Sir Malcolm Green said: ‘We need to make sure people know how to do the manoeuvre on themselves.’