The Heimlich Maneuver
Kelly Marti
1
Imagine this scene. You are sitting with a friend at dinner. You tell a joke and your
friend bursts out laughing. Then, suddenly, he isn't laughing any more, or making any sound at
all. His eyes seem about to pop out of his head; his face turns pale and then blue. Finally, he
collapses over his plate. You rush to his side, trying to figure out what is wrong. Could it be a
heart attack? Then you realize what has happened. Your friend has choked on a piece of food
that "went down the wrong way." You start to pound him on the back, try to help in any way
you can. But it is too late. Five minutes have passed, and your friend is dead.
2 This story is imaginary, but it could be real. Incidents like this one happen every
day-in restaurants, in the home, in dormitory cafeterias. According to a report from the
National Safety Council, choking causes 3,900 deaths per year, which makes choking the sixth
leading cause of accidental death in the United States. This statistic is even more tragic because
95 percent of these deaths could be prevented-more than 3,700 lives could be saved each
year-if someone near the choking victim knew of a simple technique called the Heimlich
maneuver.
3 The Heimlich maneuver was developed by Dr. Henry Heimlich, a professor of
clinical sciences at Xavier University in Cincinnati, and it is so easy to learn that even a child
can perform it. I learned the maneuver from my mother, who is a nurse, and I have read several
articles about it. Today I would like to teach it to you.
4
The effectiveness of the Heimlich maneuver depends on two factors-knowing the
symptoms of a choking victim, and knowing how to perform the maneuver to save the victim.
First I will explain the symptoms. Then I will demonstrate the maneuver.
5
If you are to use the Heimlich maneuver, you must be able to recognize when a
person has a piece of food or some other object caught in the windpipe. You may be surprised
to know that until Dr. Heimlich offered a clear list of symptoms, not even doctors were sure
how to diagnose a choking victim. There is a famous story of a medical convention in
Washington, D.C., at which a large group of doctors had gathered for a dinner meeting. All at
once a member of the group began to choke on a piece of food. A hundred doctors sat by
helplessly while the man choked to death, because the doctors didn't know what was wrong
and didn't know what to do.
6
Fortunately, Dr. Heimlich has since provided a reliable list of symptoms. First, the
choking victim is unable to breathe or to speak. Then, because not enough oxygen is reaching
the brain, the victim becomes pale, turns blue, and falls unconscious. Of these symptoms, the
most important is the victim's inability to speak. There are other conditions that might cause
someone to have difficulty breathing and to pass out--a heart attack, for example. But when a
conscious person cannot speak-or make any utterance whatever-it is usually because something is lodged in the air passage. In most cases, blockage of the airway is so complete
that the choking victim is not able to make any sound at all.
7
It is important that you, as an observer, learn to recognize these symptoms and to
act quickly. There is no time to waste. Within about four minutes the victim will suffer
permanent brain damage. Within about five minutes the victim will be dead. Four to five
that is just a minute or so longer than the amount of time that has passed since I
began this speech.
minutes
8
Now that you know how to recognize when a person has something caught in the
air passage, you are ready to apply the Heimlich maneuver. When applied properly, it is the
most effective way to save the life of a choking victim. The principle behind the maneuver is
quite simple. Even when a foreign object is lodged in the windpipe, there is still enough air left
in the lungs to dislodge the object if the air is forced upward suddenly. The purpose of the
Heimlich maneuver is to create a strong enough burst of air from the lungs to free whatever is
stuck in the windpipe.
9
You can apply the maneuver in any of three positions while a victim is standing,
sitting, or lying on the floor. Let me demonstrate with each position.
10
If possible, hold the victim up in a standing position to perform the Heimlich
maneuver. This is the most effective way to dislodge whatever is caught in the air passage.
Stand behind the victim and put both your arms around his waist. Let his head, arms, and upper
torso hang forward. Make a fist with one hand and place it thumb side in against the victim's
abdomen-slightly above the navel but below the rib cage. Then cover the first with your other
hand and press into the abdomen with a quick upward thrust, bending your arms at the elbows.
[Here the speaker gently demonstrated the procedure on a volunteer.] Repeat this action as
many times as necessary until the food pops out.
11 If the victim is sitting down and you cannot get him up, kneel behind him, put your
arms around both him and the chair, and perform the maneuver in the same way.
[Demonstration by the speaker.] Again, continue the upward thrusts until the food pops out.
12
If the victim is already prostrate and you cannot get him up, you may have to
perform the Heimlich maneuver with the victim lying down. In this event, lay the person flat on
his back, with his face turned upward (not to the side). Kneel straddling the victim. Do not try
to perform the maneuver from the side, because you could rupture the victim's liver or spleen.
Place the heel of one hand against the choking victim's abdomen, above the navel but below
the ribs. Put your other hand on top of the first one and press into the victim's abdomen with a
quick upward thrust. [Demonstration by the speaker.]
13 As you can see, the Heimlich maneuver is easy to learn and easy to perform.
Thousands of people, from children to senior citizens, have saved lives by using it. So if you
are ever in a situation like the one I described at the start of this speech, remember what you
have heard today: If your dinner companion suddenly can neither breathe nor speak, he or she
has a foreign object stuck in the air passage. By applying the Heimlich maneuver, you can
expel the object and save your companion's life.
6
R
Did this speech have a complete introduction?
O
Did the speaker gain the audience's attention? How so?
Did the speaker establish credibility? How so?
Did the speaker tell the audience why they should listen?
Did the speaker preview the main points?
What were the main points?
What organizational pattern was used?
Did the organizational pattern make sense?
What types of supporting materials were used?
Did this speech have a complete conclusion?
O Did the speaker provide a sense of closure?
○
O
Did the speaker summarize the main points?
Did the speaker end with a clincher or motivating statement?
What did you like about this speech?
What improvements would you make?
5 answers
Evaluation of the Informative Speech: "The Heimlich Maneuver" by Kelly Marti
Did this speech have a complete introduction?
Yes, the speech had a complete introduction.
Did the speaker gain the audience's attention? How so?
Yes, the speaker gained the audience's attention by presenting a vivid, relatable scenario that evokes a strong emotional response—the imaginary scene of a friend choking at dinner, highlighting the urgency and seriousness of the topic.
Did the speaker establish credibility? How so?
Yes, the speaker established credibility by mentioning her personal background (learning the maneuver from her mother, who is a nurse) and referencing Dr. Henry Heimlich's qualifications.
Did the speaker tell the audience why they should listen?
Yes, the speaker explained the significance of knowing the Heimlich maneuver by presenting alarming statistics about choking deaths and how many could be prevented.
Did the speaker preview the main points?
Yes, the speaker outlined that she would explain the symptoms of choking and demonstrate the Heimlich maneuver.
What were the main points?
The symptoms of a choking victim.
How to perform the Heimlich maneuver properly in different positions (standing, sitting, and lying down).
What organizational pattern was used?
The speech followed a chronological/step-by-step organizational pattern, particularly when describing the Heimlich maneuver.
Did the organizational pattern make sense?
Yes, the organizational pattern made sense, as it guided the audience through understanding the situation and then the method of response.
What types of supporting materials were used?
The speaker used statistics, personal anecdotes, expert references (Dr. Heimlich), and real-life scenarios to support her points.
Did this speech have a complete conclusion?
Yes, the speech had a complete conclusion.
Did the speaker provide a sense of closure?
Yes, the speaker provided a sense of closure by reiterating the importance of the topic and the life-saving potential of the Heimlich maneuver.
Did the speaker summarize the main points?
Yes, the speaker briefly summarized the key points regarding recognizing choking and the steps to perform the Heimlich maneuver.
Did the speaker end with a clincher or motivating statement?
Yes, the speech ended with a motivating statement encouraging the audience to remember the information in the event of a choking incident.
What did you like about this speech?
The speech was engaging and informative, with a relatable introduction that successfully captured the audience's attention. The clear, step-by-step instructions for performing the Heimlich maneuver were practical and easy to follow, making it a valuable speech that could realistically save lives.
What improvements would you make?
One potential improvement could be to provide visual aids or handouts to reinforce the learning process, especially since the topic involves a physical demonstration. Additionally, incorporating a brief Q&A session could enhance audience engagement and ensure understanding. Adding a personal story about a time when the speaker utilized the Heimlich maneuver or witnessed it in action could further establish credibility and connection with the audience.
Make the answer a short sentence
Yes, the speech had a complete introduction.
Yes, the speaker gained attention with a vivid, relatable scenario involving choking.
Yes, by sharing her background and referencing Dr. Heimlich's qualifications.
Yes, she explained the significance of knowing the Heimlich maneuver by citing statistics.
Yes, she previewed her main points about symptoms and the Heimlich maneuver.
The main points were recognizing choking symptoms and how to perform the Heimlich maneuver.
A chronological/step-by-step organizational pattern was used.
Yes, the pattern effectively guided the audience through information and actions.
The speaker used statistics, anecdotes, expert references, and real-life scenarios.
Yes, the speech had a complete conclusion.
Yes, the conclusion provided a sense of closure about the topic.
Yes, she summarized the importance of recognizing choking and performing the maneuver.
Yes, she ended with a motivating statement encouraging action in choking situations.
What did you like about this speech?
The speech was engaging and informative, providing practical, clear instructions on the Heimlich maneuver.
What improvements would you make?
Visual aids and a brief Q&A session could enhance understanding, along with a personal story for deeper connection.
Shorter
Yes.
Yes, with a relatable choking scenario.
Yes, through personal background and expert references.
Yes, by citing important statistics.
Yes, she outlined symptoms and the Heimlich maneuver.
Recognizing choking symptoms and performing the maneuver.
1 answer