Easy mistake

By helper - 01/12/2009 06:15 - Costa Rica

Today, while dining at a restaurant I heard a women choking. I immediately ran to her, wrapped my arms around her and started giving her abdominal thrusts. She freed herself and slapped me. Turns out she wasn't choking, she was just laughing. FML
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Top comments

artsavage13 0

Former lifeguard here: When you suspect someone is choking, you always identify yourself and ask if they need help first. If they need help, they will point at their throat and nod 'yes'. Grabbing someone from behind without warning may actually cause them to choke. YDI.

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brfan1337 22

If she was really choking, you wouldn't hear anything.

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Comments

letitbe56 0

Remember your CPR course where they said always to tell someone that you're trained in first aid and you're about to help them before you do anything? This is why. So while I admire your willingness to help, you did skip a step that's there for a reason.

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Rayn4u_fml 0

I’m not sure that this was a benevolent act. Wasn’t the OP just openly trying to point out that the lady was laughing like a walrus?

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islandnerd 0

If you can hear a person making noises that means their airway is not obstructed and the heimlich will not do anything. When you do the abdominal thrusts the air will just keep passing by the object and you will just get in trouble for grabbing on a person.

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redshortsx 0

No OP was trying to help. Would you do that just to prove some random lady is laughing like a walrus. Now he could get in a lot of trouble.

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cfd_aces 0

that is why we always start with an assesment

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loto_fml 3

YDI. Anyone who knows how to properly carry out these things KNOWS the first thing you need to do is ask the person if they need help. The Heimlich maneuver can cause rib breakage, and since you obviously have no training in first aid you could have caused this woman some serious pain.

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sdcrazy1018 0

We love to laugh HA HA HA HA, loud and long and clearrrrrrrr. So Mary Poppins does have a lesson.

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xoxcinderellaxox 0

ydi. you should have waited for the universal sign of choking.

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liquidbunny 0

actually if someone really is chocking ie no air getting in or out you wont be able to hear them "chock". Thats really serious. Because the airway is totally cut off. If you hear someone coughing or gagging then they are still getting air in and out it's bad but not as bad if they werent making any sound at all. And that's why we have the universal chock signal: hands crossed while wrapped around the throat.

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polico_wolf 0

so? It doesnt mean you should wait for it to get serious and not help her untill it does

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idkweird 0

That's exactly what it means. if they can still get air, the Heimlich maneuver will do nothing to help them.

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nomadxx7 0

Yeah but it also doesn't mean you do the Heimlich manuever when they are something partially lodged. You try to get them to move it themselves or if you have to stick your finger in there if you can see the item. Hell sometimes the gag reflex and resulting vomit will remove them item (really not recommended - using your finger usually is when they pass out and you can see the item). Plus doing the Heimlich can hurt them/make it worse if they aren't fully restricted. You could force the object to lodge and really make them choke.

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