How a Heimlich in time can save someone’s life

Sure, politics are rough… but it’s not every day that a member of congress suffers a broken rib at the hand of a colleague!

That’s what happened to Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill last month. While at a lunch gathering with Joe Manchin, the West Virginian senator suddenly jumped to his feet, ran over to her, and grabbed her so hard that he cracked a rib.

Manchin didn’t attack McCaskill over some policy dispute, and it wasn’t a Capitol food fight, either! He actually saved her life using the Heimlich maneuver.

Senator McCaskill was choking, and she’d already started turning red when Manchin leaped into action, dislodging what was obstructing her windpipe with a forceful thrust below her ribcage.

When done correctly, the Heimlich maneuver will send any obstruction back out again, and it has been used to save thousands of lives since the late Dr. Henry Heimlich first developed the method over four decades ago.

But despite its successful track record, the American Red Cross has decided it’s got a big bone to pick.

One that’s got the Heimlich heirs all choked up.

Here’s what you need to know… and how to do this life-saving maneuver, should you ever encounter someone who’s choking.

‘Hug, don’t hit’

A few months before Dr. Henry Heimlich passed away in 2016 at the age of 96, he had the opportunity to give his lifesaving maneuver one last “thrust,” so to speak.

That was when a fellow resident of the assisted-living facility he resided in started choking while eating. Dr. Heimlich came to the rescue and saved her life!

The technique he perfected is so simple that even a politician can do it! Why, you can even perform it on yourself if you’re alone (I’ll tell you exactly how it works in a minute).

Apparently, however, the success rate of the Heimlich maneuver doesn’t count for much with the American Red Cross, which was at odds with Dr. Heimlich for years over the correct way to save someone.

According to the organization, the very first thing to do is to give the victim five slaps on the back. If that doesn’t work, you’re supposed to try five abdominal thrusts.

Dr. Heimlich argued it out with the Red Cross, saying that he was horrified by that advice — precious time can be lost slapping someone on the back, and the food or other object could become further lodged in the throat.

Now, his son and daughter have taken on the fight, starting a campaign called “Hug, don’t hit.”

As daughter Janet Heimlich said, the Red Cross “must show the public what evidence they have” proving back slaps are effective. She claims there is none. And as of yet, the Red Cross hasn’t come up with any.

In a recent statement, the organization said that it has found “no scientific evidence stating that this one technique (the Heimlich maneuver) is more effective than the others.”

While that may be true, it sure seems that where the maneuver is concerned, you can’t argue with success! Dr. Heimlich stated in a 2013 interview that he believed his maneuver had saved the lives of around 100,000 people.

And there have certainly been many, many more since then.

So, should you ever need to give someone a potentially life-saving “hug,” here’s what you need to know.

First, determine if the person can speak or cough. If they can, they’re still able to get air in and their passages aren’t totally obstructed. If they’re coughing, encourage them to keep it up, as that can help dislodge whatever is stuck.

But if they can’t speak, are grabbing at their throat, or start to change color, it’s a full-blown life-and-death situation. Have someone call 911, and while you’re waiting for help, here’s what you need to do:

#1: Get behind the person and make a fist with your dominant hand, placing the thumb side of that fist halfway between the person’s belly button and breastbone.

#2: Give firm inward and upward thrusts. What you’ll be doing is forcing air out of the lungs to create a kind of “cough” that, with firm enough pressure, will dislodge the stuck food or object. Stop thrusting when the person begins to cough.

If the person loses consciousness, lay them on the flood and start doing chest compressions (similar to CPR), which is also the technique used for pregnant women.

Back slaps are the recommended procedure only if the obstruction has occurred in a very young child.

And if you’re alone and start choking, place your fist just above your navel and grab it with your other hand. Bend over a chair or other firm surface and shove your fist into your abdomen with an inward and upward motion.

Yes, it’s certainly possible that there will be some resulting injuries, but I doubt anyone would consider a few bruises — or even a busted rib — a bad trade for staying alive.

As McCaskill said, she’s grateful to her colleague… and although she’s a bit sore, it’s “no big deal.”

“How to save a choking senator: Heimlich heirs, Red Cross disagree on technique,” Carmen Heredia Rodriguez, July 26, 2018, The Inquirer, philly.com