200 People Visit ER After Eating Tteok... You Should Know the 'Heimlich Maneuver'

It has been found that about 200 people are transported to emergency rooms each year due to airway obstruction caused by rice cakes and other food. The National Fire Agency has urged caution regarding airway obstruction accidents ahead of the Seollal holiday.

According to the National Fire Agency's emergency statistics on the 9th, over the past five years, an average of about 220 people per year were transported to hospitals due to airway obstruction accidents caused by rice cakes and food, and among them, 83 people were reported to have reached a state of cardiac arrest. During the five years, the total number of emergency dispatches was 1,290, with 1,104 people transported.

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By age group, it was revealed that the elderly are more vulnerable to airway obstruction accidents. Those aged 60 and over accounted for 83.4% (921 people) of the total, roughly 8 out of 10 people. Among the 283 people transported last year, 179 were aged 60 or older, the highest number, followed by 24 people in their 40s and 50s, 9 people aged 0 to 7, 3 people in their 20s and 30s, and 2 people aged 8 to 13.

In particular, over the five years, 25 people were transported due to airway obstruction caused by rice cakes and food during the Seollal holiday. This means that on average, one person per day during the holiday period experienced such an accident. From 2019 to last year, between 3 and 7 people were transported to hospitals each holiday period due to airway obstruction caused by food.

The National Fire Agency emphasized the importance of learning the Heimlich maneuver, an emergency procedure for airway obstruction, and providing prompt first aid in preparation for such accidents. The Heimlich maneuver is an emergency technique where the rescuer wraps their arms around the patient from behind, clenches a fist between the navel and the sternum, and forcefully pushes to expel the foreign object blocking the airway.

A National Fire Agency official stated, "While airway foreign body accidents caused by items such as plastic or batteries are common among infants and young children, airway obstruction caused by rice cakes or food is more frequent among the elderly," and added, "Especially during the Seollal holiday period, we ask everyone to be particularly careful to prevent accidents caused by hurried eating or overeating."

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