Heimlich manoeuvre

Technique to relieve choking due to a blockage in the larynx (windpipe).

The manoeuvre consists of the following steps: Stand behind the patient and wrap your arms around the waist. Making a fist with your hand, place it slightly above the patient's navel. Grip the fist with your other hand, and press hard into the abdomen - a quick, upward thrust. Repeat this movement until the blockage is dislodged. If the patient is pregnant, the fist should be in a higher position, at the base of the breastbone.