Treatment of Choking

Abstract

In Reply.— We thank Dr Eigen for noting that our paper on choking1 showed just how (as asserted by Heimlich and others) back blows might be harmful in the emergency treatment of severe choking. In the same issue, there is a review by Heimlich,2 and there is also a report by Greensher and Mofenson,3 which advises back blows as the first maneuver to save a choking child and expresses fear that a child's abdominal organs could be injured by abdominal thrusts.