Changwon Seongsan Fire Station, Emergency Treatment for Choking Incident ... Using Heimlich Maneuver

Gyeongnam Changwon Seongsan Fire Station has urged caution regarding airway obstruction accidents caused by food.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Song Jong-gu] Residents of Gyeongnam Province should definitely know the Heimlich maneuver as an emergency treatment method in case of choking accidents caused by rice cakes, dried persimmons, candies, and other foods eaten during the holidays.

Changwon Seongsan Fire Station urged caution regarding airway obstruction accidents caused by food that may occur during the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday.

Every year, airway obstruction safety accidents caused by foods commonly enjoyed during the holidays such as rice cakes, apples, dried persimmons, and candies occasionally occur. When airway obstruction caused by food occurs, consciousness is lost within 3 to 4 minutes, and after 4 to 6 minutes, the person may enter a brain-dead state or lose their life, so special attention is required.

When airway obstruction occurs, first check the patient's condition and call 119. The rescuer should induce the patient to cough, and if the patient cannot cough voluntarily, emergency treatment should be performed using the Heimlich maneuver.

For adults, the Heimlich maneuver involves embracing the patient from behind, making a fist with one hand and wrapping the other hand around the fist, then placing it between the patient's sternum and navel and repeatedly pushing upward strongly until the foreign object is expelled. If the patient loses consciousness, cardiopulmonary resuscitation should be performed immediately.

Jang Woo-young, head of the Response and Rescue Division, said, “To prepare for safety accidents that may occur during the Lunar New Year holiday, please familiarize yourself with emergency treatment methods in advance and have a safe and happy Lunar New Year holiday.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.