Attribution: Evolution and evolvability, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
By Bill Stokes
Kickass, the doorstop dog, passes along the frightening experience of the keeper and Phyllis as dinner companion Dorothy suddenly choked and was immediately successfully rescued by the skillful administration of the Heimlich maneuver by her daughter Sigrid.
That Sigrid is an experienced nurse and knew what she was doing gave as much reassurance as is possible under the threatening circumstances.
All’s well that ends well, which happened in this case; and the keeper was left to remember how nearly 50 years ago he had a heart attack which qualified him to write a health column for the Chicago Tribune one of which explained how the Heimlich method of chest pressure was seen as a replacement for the slap on the back as help for someone who is choking.
As it now stands the Red Cross recommendation is to encourage a choking person to cough, followed by 5 slaps on the back and then administration of “abdominal thrusts” to put pressure on the lower diaphragm.
Another recommendation would be to never go out to dinner without inviting Sigrid along, and Dorothy too, of course.
Photo by Bill Stokes