For what is the Heimlich Maneuver used?

Appeared in: Bihar CHO - 2021

Explanation

The Heimlich Maneuver is a first-aid procedure specifically designed to treat upper airway obstruction, commonly known as choking.
It involves performing abdominal thrusts to rapidly increase pressure below the diaphragm.
This pressure creates an artificial cough, forcefully expelling the foreign object lodged in the person's airway.
It is indicated for a conscious person who is showing signs of severe choking, such as the inability to speak, cough, or breathe.

Option B: Delivering a baby is an obstetric process that involves uterine contractions and specific medical or midwifery interventions, which are completely unrelated to airway management.
Option C: The core principle of the Heimlich maneuver is to forcefully increase intra-abdominal pressure to push the diaphragm up and expel air from the lungs.
Option D: The maneuver creates a surge of positive pressure within the chest and airway, which pushes the object out. Negative pressure would pull air or objects inward.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Heimlich Maneuver (Abdominal Thrusts) for Choking as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses must be able to quickly recognize the universal sign of choking (clutching the throat) and other signs like inability to speak, weak cough, and cyanosis to intervene immediately.
Performing the Heimlich maneuver correctly and promptly can be the difference between life and death in a choking emergency.
What if? If the choking person becomes unconscious, the intervention must change immediately. The nurse should stop abdominal thrusts, carefully lower the person to the ground, and begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), starting with chest compressions.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key term in the question, which is 'Heimlich Maneuver'.
Recall the primary purpose of this well-known first-aid procedure. It is fundamentally associated with a specific emergency.
Evaluate each option based on this primary purpose.
Option A directly states this purpose: 'release from choking'.
Eliminate the other options by identifying them as either unrelated procedures (delivering a baby) or as describing the opposite physiological effect (reducing pressure, creating negative pressure).

Concept Tested & Keywords

Q7xMEIpt6ttplQjJ-eQDjw

E6 Anatomy Applied Ashalatha 4e p. 96-98

E6 Ghai Essential Pediatrics(pp 26-904 of 913) p. 776-778

Practise the full Bihar CHO - 2021

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.