30 | www.Ups tatePhys i c i ansSC . com | www.Hea l thL i nksUps tate. com HEIMLICH MANEUVER INFORMATION WHAT IS CHOKING? Choking is when food or another foreign object becomes stuck in the airway. Choking prevents oxygen from getting to the lungs and the brain. FAST FACTS: • Lack of oxygen to the brain for more than four minutes may cause brain damage or death. • In 2019, there were around 5,228 choking deaths in the United States. • Death involving food is more common among the elderly. • Choking is the fourth leading cause of unintentional death. • The odds are 1 in 2,535 of dying from choking on food. • The Heimlich maneuver was invented by Henry Judah Heimlich, a thoracic surgeon born in 1920. • The Heimlich maneuver is often referred to as the abdominal thrust. PREVENT CHOKING IN ADULTS BY FOLLOWING THESE PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES: • Cut food into small pieces. • Chew food slowly and thoroughly, especially if you are wearing dentures. • Avoid laughing and talking while chewing and swallowing. • Avoid excessive intake of alcohol before and during meals. PREVENT CHOKING IN CHILDREN BY FOLLOWING THESE PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES: • Keep marbles, thumbtacks, latex balloons, coins and other small toys and objects out of reach. • Prevent children from running, walking or playing when they have food or toys in their mouth. • Children under 4 years of age should avoid foods such as hot dogs, nuts, chunks of meat or cheese, grapes, hard or sticky candy, popcorn, chunks of peanut butter or raw carrots. • Supervise mealtimes. • Prevent older siblings from giving a dangerous food or toy to a young child. SIGNS OF SOMEONE CHOKING: • A person is not coughing. • A person is unable to speak or breathe. • A person is signaling for help, typically by holding their hands around their throat. • A person is making squeaky sounds. • The person’s skin, lips or nails are turning blue or flushed. Information collected by Stacy Domingo Sources: HopkinsMedicine.org, MayoClinic.org, Statista.com, FirstAidKitSurvival.com, PetMD and NSC.org
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