Althouse: 96-year-old man performs the Heimlich maneuver and saves a choking woman's life.

May 27, 2016

96-year-old man performs the Heimlich maneuver and saves a choking woman's life.

The 96-year-old man was Dr. Henry Heimlich, using his famous method, invented in the 1970s, for the first time.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...: Little known factoid: years before the doctor came along a porn star invented a method of saving people from choking. It's called the Hiney-lick Maneuver.

Peter; 5/27/16, 10:36 AM
BarrySanders20 said...: "Ris recovered quickly, and everyone returned to their meals."

The old folks can roll with it.

If this had happened at Oberlin, assuming anybody was capable of reacting at all to save the choker, the trauma of witnessing the event would require months of therapy and demands that only "safe" foods be served.; 5/27/16, 10:48 AM
mikee said...: Congrats to the doc for doing what was needed, and obtaining a good patient outcome!

I hope the good doctor need not fill out the Electronic Medical Records required for all patient/doctor interactions, including the patient and insurance coding for his "emergency services > out of plan > non-ER location > non-hospital patient visit > non-clinic patient visit > first patient visit > new patient > unscheduled exam > exam = visual > diagnosis = obstructed breathing > further diagnosis = foreign object obstruction > foreign object location = throat > action = nonsurgical removal > Heimlich maneuver > no followup scheduled" without which our medical system in the US won't work under Obamacare.

And was informed consent obtained before the medical intervention, on signed forms of multiple pages and extreme complexity?

Oh, and did the doctor make sure to ask his new patient if any guns are kept in his home, and tell the patient to store them unloaded or disassembled, locked away from all others who might ever be in the home? And then record that in the EMR, too?; 5/27/16, 10:56 AM
Michael K said...: Heimlich has had other major advances in his career. He also invented a very small and compact valve for chest tubes that did not require "water seal," the traditional method of treating collapsed lung. It is universally used and is probably more important than the maneuver.; 5/27/16, 11:07 AM
Freeman Hunt said...: My mother had to perform this maneuver on herself against a piece of furniture one Christmas Eve while we were out looking at lights while she stayed at home alone to ready the presents. If not for Heimlich, that would have been a pretty rotten Christmas.; 5/27/16, 11:18 AM
madAsHell said...: Wow!! 96 years of age, and still has the strength to execute the maneuver?

My nonagenarian mother would not have the strength to execute the maneuver. My centenarian uncle might have a chance, but it would be a stretch. They would both likely fall over, and break something.; 5/27/16, 11:34 AM
~ Gordon Pasha said...: I used it about 10 years ago to save an 80# labrador retriever. Worked great.; 5/27/16, 11:52 AM
Curious George said...: It's about goddamn time, doc.; 5/27/16, 11:55 AM
rhhardin said...: Ihe Heimlich maneuver is a half loop and a half roll to bring your guns to bear on the adversary.; 5/27/16, 12:52 PM
DrMaturin said...: I've done it twice and had it done to me once. Thanks Dr. H!; 5/27/16, 1:25 PM
Ambrose said...: Think this was on his bucket list?; 5/27/16, 2:35 PM
Fred Drinkwater said...: Wrong German, rhhardin. Think Immelman instead. But subtle folk prefer the Thach Weave 4 times out of 5.; 5/27/16, 5:26 PM