How to Perform the Heimlich Maneuver

How to perform the Heimlich maneuver

The steps you need to perform a Heimlich maneuver depend on who you’re aiding:

• another person who isn’t pregnant or an infant (under a year old)
• a pregnant woman or an infant
• yourself

Regardless of whom you perform the maneuver on, that person should still get medical help afterward. This is to ensure no physical damage has occurred to their throat and airways.

On someone other than a pregnant woman or an infant

Determine whether you need to perform abdominal thrusts. If a person who appears to be choking is conscious and coughing, they may be able to dislodge the object on their own. Administer first aid if the person is:

• not coughing
• unable to speak or breathe
• signaling for help, typically by holding their hands around their throat

First, if there’s a bystander, have them call 911 (or your local emergency phone number) for emergency help. If you’re the only person present, begin first aid treatment:

1. Get the person to stand up.
2. Position yourself behind the person.
3. Lean the person forward and give five blows to their back with the heel of your hand.
4. Place your arms around their waist.
5. Make a fist and place it just above the navel, thumb side in.
6. Grab the fist with your other hand and push it inward and upward at the same time. Perform five of these abdominal thrusts.
7. Repeat until the object is expelled and the person can breathe or cough on their own.

Alternatively, if the person can’t stand up, straddle their waist, facing their head. Push your fist inward and upward in the same manner as you would if they were standing.

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Heimlich Maneuver: How to Perform and When to Use It (healthline.com)