What is happening ?

During a meal, an almond-shaped nut or a food that is not sufficiently chewed can block the flapper that allows air to enter the lungs and food to the stomach. The person can no longer talk or breathe. No time to wait for help, we must act immediately.

I take action

I pats him on the back . I stand behind the victim, I lean his chest slightly forward supporting his chest with one hand so that the foreign body does not sink further. I then give a big slap between the two shoulder blades with the palm of the hand. I check if it worked or not. If after five steps it's still stuck, I go to phase 2.

I'm doing Heimlich's maneuver . The name is barbaric but the gesture is super simple. It is to lift the air of the lungs to expel the foreign body like a champagne cork. In practice, I put myself behind the person, I surround with my arms below the chest. Then I place a closed fist between his belly button and the bottom of his sternum. With the other hand, I push my fist towards me and up. I repeat until it comes out. If in doubt, the SAMU explains the gesture over the phone.

The missteps to avoid

Shaking a child by the feet is totally useless and wastes precious time. If it's an infant choking, I put it on my stomach and I tap his back.

And after ?

I encourage the victim to visit a GP in the days following the incident. Through a radio, it will check that there are no small pieces of food in the bronchi, which could cause an infection.

Thanks to Dr. Pascal Cassan, doctor-advisor of the French Red Cross. If you want to be trained in first aid, we go to the caravan of the Red Cross which runs throughout the summer in 10 departments. More info on croix-rouge.fr