Heimlich, on the Maneuver

To the Editor:

Re “A Heimlich in Every Pot,” by Joan Nathan (Op-Ed, Feb. 4):

Thank you and Ms. Nathan for bringing the Heimlich maneuver, which I invented to save choking victims, to the attention of your readers. The article will save many choking victims.

Ms. Nathan mentions that two men slapped her on the back and her choking and panic continued. Backslaps are proved to cause death by driving a choking object tighter into the airway.

The chef Tom Colicchio performed the Heimlich maneuver, which compressed her lungs, causing a flow of air that carried the food out of her airway and out the mouth. The fact that you can save yourself with the maneuver if you are choking was mentioned but is not widely known. It is most significant if you are alone and choke.

Henry Heimlich
Cincinnati, Feb. 4, 2009

The writer is a medical doctor.