Important First Aid skill.

It is important to be able to recognize when someone is choking. A choking victim usually coughs and then instinctively places his hands at his throat. If the victim can cough, encourage him to cough out the blockage. If the victim cannot make a sound, his airway is blocked. Use your fingers to clear away material in his mouth and proceed.

Assuming the choking victim is still conscious, stand behind him, with arms under his. Make one hand into a fist and press its thumb inwards above the navel and below the bone. Put your other hand around the fist and pull sharply up and towards yourself, four times. Check to see if the blockage is removed. If this didn't work, give 4 sharp blows to the back between the shoulder blades (to help dislodge material) and then repeat the maneuver. Don't stop!

For a pregnant woman, put your fist against the breastbone.

You can give yourself a Heimlich Maneuver by pushing against a blunt object (e.g. a chair back).

Last night we finished our certification for CPR and First Aid through training by the Red Cross.

Even though the First Aid training did not actually involve the Upward Chest Thrust, since that is included in the CPR training, it was still mentioned.

The Nurse mentioned that Dr. Heimlich has in fact made most of his money by suing people who use his name as part of a maneuver without bothering to check the usage rights with him.

I am not entirely sure if E2 could be sued for using it here, but it likely couldn't hurt to check.

It's a sad commentary on our society that the man who came up with a lifesaving technique then used that technique as a way to sue people and make millions.

The Red Cross now soley uses the term "Upward Chest Thrust" when refering to this method, they do not refer to the Dr.