CHOKING – WOULD YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO?

A man in Denver died recently when he choked on a huge Voodoo donut he was eating quickly to meet a challenge.

Of course, it made us think about what we would have done had we been on the scene, and that led us to review the immediate care of people who are choking on food with our clinical and non-clinical staff.

We don’t have any inside information about the details of this tragedy, but it was a reminder of the importance of knowing the Heimlich maneuver to eject food blocking someone’s airway. It’s easy to learn; in fact, it’s simpler than unwrapping a Band Aid, and we can all do that. We don’t usually recommend relying on Dr. Google’s advice, but in this case it’s OK. So look it up and learn to do the Heimlich on others and on yourself. Someone who’s choking has just a few minutes left, and if you know what to do you could literally save his or her life.

The information posted on this blog and website are for general information only and should never be relied on as specific medical advice for an individual reader.  No financial relationship exists between us and any recommended products or persons mentioned. All material contained here is the property of the Sheldon Sowell Center for Health, PC, and cannot be copied, reprinted, or linked to without our express permission.