FAMILY HEALTH I How to save a life, especially yours

F you suddenly have a medical emergency, you always hope there’ll be someone around to help you. But what happens if you’re on your own? Doctors have discovered that in the case of choking, you don’t have to rely on anyone else to carry out the Heimlich manoeuvre as it’s just as effective if you perform it on yourself.

Dr Nick Hopkinson and his colleagues at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London have discovered that the procedure – a short, sharp burst of pressure to the abdomen to release a blockage in the throat – can be self-administered by pressing the abdomen area up against the flat back of a chair to target the airways.

From here, use both hands to grip the chair and then push against it to exert enough force to dislodge the obstruction.

Dr Hopkinson said that delivering a similar thrust with your hand can also work. He recommends that the technique be taught in first aid classes so that people know what to do if they start to choke while they’re on their own.

Writing in the journal Thorax, he said: “Choking can be a cause of sudden death in a perfectly healthy person. There may be only a few minutes to save a life. It is important to raise awareness of what to do if you are with someone who is choking and especially if you are by yourself and you are choking.”

Here St John Ambulance shows several other first aid techniques people can perform on themselves:

Try not to speak, cough, spit, sniff or swallow as this may break blood clots which have formed in the nose.

If the bleeding lasts longer than 30 minutes or is severe, call 999 or 112 for medical help.