Foreign body stuck in the throat, "Like" to relieve it

It is said that children are the flowers of the motherland, and parents do not want their children to suffer accidental injuries. However, according to reports, nearly 50,000 children die from accidental injuries in my country every year, of which nearly 3,000 children's deaths are related to accidental suffocation caused by foreign objects blocking the trachea. Of course, foreign objects stuck in the throat also often occur in adults. It happens very suddenly and in a very short time, often catching people off guard. In severe cases, they suffocate to death before they can even go to the hospital.

Image source: Pixabay

So how do we perform first aid on the spot? Here I want to introduce a good friend to you - Heimlich, who is praised by the "Who's Who in the World" as the person who has saved the most lives in the world. Since the advent of the Heimlich maneuver named after him, it has saved countless lives that were on the verge of death due to foreign body blockage, including former US President Reagan, famous actress Elizabeth Taylor, etc. Then, I will tell you the specific operation method.

First, if the accident occurs to a child under 3 years old, place one arm against the child's chest, with the child face down and lying on his knees, and use the other hand to pat the child's back with the base of your palm 1-5 times; after patting the back, turn the child over and make him lie on his back on your forearm, keeping his head low, and use two fingers of your other hand to press the child's chest, alternating between the two steps, and observe whether any foreign objects are vomited out.

If the case occurs to children over 3 years old or adults, you can remember the rock-paper-scissors game. First, stand behind the person being rescued and give him a back hug. Then, make a fist with one hand and wrap the other hand around the fist, placing it two fingers above the navel of the person being rescued. Quickly squeeze inward and upward, and repeat until the foreign object is spit out.

Of course, when facing someone who has lost consciousness, don't panic. Let the person lie flat on his back, kneel on both sides of the person's buttocks with his legs apart, overlap your hands and place them above the person's navel, and use the base of your palms to squeeze repeatedly forward and downward until the foreign object is spit out.

We have talked about how to save others, but how to save yourself? In fact, the method is very simple. Just bend down slightly, press the upper abdomen with the edge of the table or the back of the chair, and push upward quickly until the foreign body is vomited out.

Friends, although these methods are simple and easy to use, it is important to note that before implementing first aid, you must remember to call 120 emergency number first, because severe impact may cause damage to internal organs. Even if the foreign body has been vomited out, you must never relax your vigilance. Seek medical attention in time and let professional medical staff provide you with further treatment.

The Heimlich maneuver has successfully saved countless lives and is warmly called "the embrace of life" by people. We cannot predict which will come first, tomorrow or an accident. What we can do is to master more first aid knowledge, so that when an accident occurs, we will not panic and save ourselves in time and successfully.

If there is something stuck in your throat, "Like" will help you get rid of it! Let's embrace life together and look forward to a better tomorrow!

Source: Chongqing Banan District Second People's Hospital

Author: Zeng Huan, Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine

Review expert: Zhang Ling (Chongqing Banan District Second People's Hospital)

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