Experts warn that abdominal thrusts may not be the most effective way to save someone who is drowning.
Instead, hitting someone in the back, between the shoulder blades, can still generate enough pressure to dislodge something stuck in the person’s airway.
The method is also “less invasive” than the much-vaunted Heimlich maneuver, which can help prevent serious complications such as rib damage.
Experts at St John Ambulance believe the new information could actually save many lives.
They also argued that new guidelines should be provided illustrating how to treat choking when no one else is around.
Experts warn that abdominal thrusts may not be the most effective way to save someone who is drowning. Pictured is the famous scene from Mrs. Doubtfire where she uses the Heimlich maneuver to dislodge a shrimp from Stuart’s larynx
Instead, hitting someone in the back, between the shoulder blades, can still generate enough pressure to dislodge something stuck in a person’s airway.
Grace Lawson, Senior Instructor at St John Ambulance, said: The mirror that abdominal thrusts “can cause a lot of damage to the victim.”
In addition to rib damage, research has long shown that other complications can include damage to heart valves and ruptures in the stomach and esophagus.
Alternatively, “we start by asking them if they’re choking, just in case it could be something like a severe allergy that’s caused their throat to swell, a different reason for the choking,” Lawson added.
‘We asked them if they could cough to see if they could expel it on their own.
‘If they are unable to do so or the cough is completely absent, then we will support them from the front on the shoulders and administer up to five blows to the back using the heel of the hand between the shoulder blades.
‘If it still hasn’t come out, we do up to five abdominal thrusts and, if that hasn’t worked, we call an ambulance and then repeat the process.
The Heimlich maneuver is often recommended when a patient is choking on food or other objects and their airway is obstructed.
Grace Lawson, a senior instructor at St John Ambulance, told The Mirror that abdominal thrusts “can cause a lot of damage to the victim”.
First responders say every second counts during an emergency and can mean the difference between life and death.
‘Always start with back blows and then move on to abdominal thrusts.
“It’s less invasive and can still remove the blockage.”
Emergency services say every second counts during an emergency and can make the difference between life and death.
For example, when the heart stops, brain cells take less than five minutes to die from lack of oxygen.
The longer it takes to resuscitate a patient, the greater the likelihood of severe brain damage and death.
Figures suggest that around 270 people die each year in the UK from choking, despite it being an entirely preventable disease.
The Heimlich maneuver is often recommended when a patient is choking on food or other objects and their airway is obstructed.
Typically, first responders would put their arms around the choking person from behind and pull up and in on the abdomen, below the rib cage.
The pressure from this movement can usually dislodge the obstruction, allowing the patient to breathe again.