The Heimlich Manoeuvre

When the upper air passageway is blocked by a foreign object, this manoeuvre can be life-saving. It is designed to force the object out of the air passage by applying a sudden squeeze of pressure to the abdomen, forcing air up the trachea (the windpipe) to dislodge the obstruction.

The person who performs this manoeuvre stands behind the victim putting their arms under the victim’s arms and hands over the victim’s abdomen between the navel and rib cage. With one hand formed into a fist, the other hand suddenly pulls the fist toward the abdomen with an accompanying upward motion. This pressure pushes up on the diaphragm and therefore increases air pressure in the lungs and moves up to the trachea, hopefully dislodging the burdening object.

Note: this procedure is difficult to learn from just reading how to do it. A practical class would provide a better understanding of how to correctly carry out the procedure.