The Heimlich manoeuvre is a life-saving technique used to assist someone who is choking. The spelling of the word 'Heimlich' comes from German, where the 'ch' sound is pronounced as a voiceless velar fricative (x), as in 'Bach' or 'Nacht'. In IPA phonetic transcription, the 'ch' in Heimlich is represented as /x/ to show this sound. The word 'manoeuvre' is spelled with a 'oeu' combination, which is commonly pronounced as /œ/ or /ɔ/. However, in this case, it is pronounced as /ʌ/, represented in IPA as /məˈnuːvə/.
The Heimlich maneuver, also known as abdominal thrusts, is an emergency technique used to dislodge an obstruction from a person's airway, specifically the windpipe or trachea, in order to restore normal breathing. This maneuver is primarily employed in cases of choking when a solid object, such as a piece of food or a foreign object, becomes lodged and blocks the passage of air.
To perform the Heimlich maneuver, one typically stands behind the choking individual and places their arms around their waist, forming a fist with one hand. Then, the rescuer places the thumb side of the fist against the person's upper abdomen, just above the navel, and grasps the fist with the other hand. A quick inward and upward thrust is then applied to the abdomen in order to force the trapped object out of the airway.
The Heimlich maneuver leverages the pressure applied on the diaphragm to create an artificial cough, generating sufficient air pressure to expel the obstruction and allow for normal breathing to resume. It is crucial to administer this maneuver correctly, as improper execution might lead to further complications or injuries. The method is a universally recognized first aid technique and has proven to be effective in saving lives during choking incidents until professional medical help arrives.
The word "Heimlich manoeuvre" is derived from the German surname of Dr. Henry Heimlich, an American thoracic surgeon who first described the technique. The term "manoeuvre" is used to indicate a specific action or procedure. Dr. Heimlich developed this technique in the 1970s as a method to save choking victims by forcibly expelling the obstruction from their airways.