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Foreign object swallowed: First aid

To perform the Heimlich maneuver on someone else

  • Stand behind the person. Wrap your arms around the waist. Tip the person forward slightly.
  • Make a fist with 1 hand. Position it slightly above the person's navel.
  • Grasp the fist with the other hand. Press hard into the abdomen with a quick, upward thrust — as if trying to lift the person up.
  • Perform a total of 5 abdominal thrusts, if needed. If the blockage still isn't dislodged, repeat the five-and-five cycle.

A modified version of the technique is sometimes taught for use with pregnant or obese people. The rescuer places his or her hand in the center of the chest to compress, rather than in the abdomen.