Nearly chocked to death

[WildBill]

No, but I sometimes wonder who'll get my gun if I croak out in public?

I checked with my attorney and he said that you can attach a notarized statement, laminated to the back of your CHL, stating that "In the event that I croak out in public, I leave my gun to WildBill".

[nightmare69]

No, but I sometimes wonder who'll get my gun if I croak out in public?

I checked with my attorney and he said that you can attach a notarized statement, laminated to the back of your CHL, stating that "In the event that I croak out in public, I leave my gun to WildBill".

Haha. Im sure Ill be hearing about this for the rest of my life. They are already talking about buying me a blender even though I already own one.

[WildBill]

No, but I sometimes wonder who'll get my gun if I croak out in public?

I checked with my attorney and he said that you can attach a notarized statement, laminated to the back of your CHL, stating that "In the event that I croak out in public, I leave my gun to WildBill".

Haha. Im sure Ill be hearing about this for the rest of my life. They are already talking about buying me a blender even though I already own one.

[nyj]

As someone said, do the Heimlich on a chair if you can. Also always carry a pocket knife. If need be you stab yourself in the cricothyroid membrane and jam the plastic of a ball point pen in to keep it open.

http://www.pennmedicine.org/encyclopedi ... 113&ptid=3" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
for the anatomy.

Can you do it? Yes or be prepared to die. Just below "adam's apple".

Had the steak thing happen to me once too, was by myself and was ready to do it when I brought the steak up. Will never forget the horror of the whole thing but was ready with the knife.

Glad you are well. Glad someone didn't have to pocket knife you. I could do it to anyone without thinking twice if need be.

Please don't try and play doctor. Doing that on someone can land you in big trouble. That goes beyond the Good Samaritan Law.

What you may think is life saving, can end up killing them while you fumble around trying to find the cricothyroid membrane, and a suitable tube to keep things open. Even if you do gain access, I challenge you to breathe through the tube of a pen.

It is better to start chest compressions until the medics get on scene and can retrieve it during a laryngoscopy.

[rotor]

As someone said, do the Heimlich on a chair if you can. Also always carry a pocket knife. If need be you stab yourself in the cricothyroid membrane and jam the plastic of a ball point pen in to keep it open.

http://www.pennmedicine.org/encyclopedi ... 113&ptid=3" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
for the anatomy.

Can you do it? Yes or be prepared to die. Just below "adam's apple".

Had the steak thing happen to me once too, was by myself and was ready to do it when I brought the steak up. Will never forget the horror of the whole thing but was ready with the knife.

Glad you are well. Glad someone didn't have to pocket knife you. I could do it to anyone without thinking twice if need be.

Please don't try and play doctor. Doing that on someone can land you in big trouble. That goes beyond the Good Samaritan Law.

What you may think is life saving, can end up killing them while you fumble around trying to find the cricothyroid membrane, and a suitable tube to keep things open. Even if you do gain access, I challenge you to breathe through the tube of a pen.

It is better to start chest compressions until the medics get on scene and can retrieve it during a laryngoscopy.

I am trained at doing the above. What you are suggesting is to let the person be brain dead from lack of oxygen (if they live). How long do you think an adult can be without oxygen and not be brain dead? What emergency crew can get to you in less than 10 minutes? Just because the EMT has a laryngoscope doesn't mean he/she can get the obstruction out. The other issue is the Good Samaritan Law. I personally would get involved because I am trained. I can't tell you what to do for a stranger. Heimlich is definitely best and cricothyroid stab is last resort.

[jmra]

As someone said, do the Heimlich on a chair if you can. Also always carry a pocket knife. If need be you stab yourself in the cricothyroid membrane and jam the plastic of a ball point pen in to keep it open.

http://www.pennmedicine.org/encyclopedi ... 113&ptid=3" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
for the anatomy.

Can you do it? Yes or be prepared to die. Just below "adam's apple".

Had the steak thing happen to me once too, was by myself and was ready to do it when I brought the steak up. Will never forget the horror of the whole thing but was ready with the knife.

Glad you are well. Glad someone didn't have to pocket knife you. I could do it to anyone without thinking twice if need be.

Please don't try and play doctor. Doing that on someone can land you in big trouble. That goes beyond the Good Samaritan Law.

What you may think is life saving, can end up killing them while you fumble around trying to find the cricothyroid membrane, and a suitable tube to keep things open. Even if you do gain access, I challenge you to breathe through the tube of a pen.

It is better to start chest compressions until the medics get on scene and can retrieve it during a laryngoscopy.

I am trained at doing the above. What you are suggesting is to let the person be brain dead from lack of oxygen (if they live). How long do you think an adult can be without oxygen and not be brain dead? What emergency crew can get to you in less than 10 minutes? Just because the EMT has a laryngoscope doesn't mean he/she can get the obstruction out. The other issue is the Good Samaritan Law. I personally would get involved because I am trained. I can't tell you what to do for a stranger. Heimlich is definitely best and cricothyroid stab is last resort.

I would expect my wife to do it to me or our kids if she felt it was warranted - but she has spent many years in operating rooms.

[nyj]

As someone said, do the Heimlich on a chair if you can. Also always carry a pocket knife. If need be you stab yourself in the cricothyroid membrane and jam the plastic of a ball point pen in to keep it open.

http://www.pennmedicine.org/encyclopedi ... 113&ptid=3" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
for the anatomy.

Can you do it? Yes or be prepared to die. Just below "adam's apple".

Had the steak thing happen to me once too, was by myself and was ready to do it when I brought the steak up. Will never forget the horror of the whole thing but was ready with the knife.

Glad you are well. Glad someone didn't have to pocket knife you. I could do it to anyone without thinking twice if need be.

Please don't try and play doctor. Doing that on someone can land you in big trouble. That goes beyond the Good Samaritan Law.

What you may think is life saving, can end up killing them while you fumble around trying to find the cricothyroid membrane, and a suitable tube to keep things open. Even if you do gain access, I challenge you to breathe through the tube of a pen.

It is better to start chest compressions until the medics get on scene and can retrieve it during a laryngoscopy.

I am trained at doing the above. What you are suggesting is to let the person be brain dead from lack of oxygen (if they live). How long do you think an adult can be without oxygen and not be brain dead? What emergency crew can get to you in less than 10 minutes? Just because the EMT has a laryngoscope doesn't mean he/she can get the obstruction out. The other issue is the Good Samaritan Law. I personally would get involved because I am trained. I can't tell you what to do for a stranger. Heimlich is definitely best and cricothyroid stab is last resort.

Good for you, doctor. By the time you get done with your cric, they'll be headed for cardiac arrest and the acidic state their body is now in will not be countered by doing a cric. Crics with small tubes are shown to increase an already hypercapnic state.

Just because you're trained to do something doesn't mean you should without full understanding of why you're doing it and the physiology behind it.

[rotor]

But without my intervention- dead for sure. No air means death. You can ventilate through a small tube even if it's mouth to pen barrel. Last resort when Heimlich doesn't work. What else can one do? Takes less than 30 seconds. Not saying this is a first choice- this is a last choice procedure. I personally have seen EMT with a laryngoscope many times- they tend to intubate the esophogus perhaps more often than the trachea. Patient comes into ER dead with a bulging abdome filled with gas. Nothing against EMT's but thats the story.

[nyj]

But without my intervention- dead for sure. No air means death. You can ventilate through a small tube even if it's mouth to pen barrel. Last resort when Heimlich doesn't work. What else can one do? Takes less than 30 seconds. Not saying this is a first choice- this is a last choice procedure. I personally have seen EMT with a laryngoscope many times- they tend to intubate the esophogus perhaps more often than the trachea. Patient comes into ER dead with a bulging abdome filled with gas. Nothing against EMT's but thats the story.

Maybe 20 years ago that was the case, but now we have capnography (CO2 detection). Instant feedback. If we're not getting a reading, we're in the wrong hole.

Doing chest compressions will help to dislodge the obstruction, and as the person starts to decline, the compressions will help keep perfusion going. They won't be "brain dead." And most response times in an urban setting are under 10 minutes (9 minutes is the standard goal).

It is easier for a medic to come in, open the airway and attempt to pull out the obstruction with magill forceps. If that were to fail, they could do a cric using a proper endotracheal tube and bag the patient.

I will challenge you again to breath out of the tube of a pen. The person will remain unconscious, and continue to become acidodic, and ultimately still go into cardiac arrest.

[dubya]

Glad you're OK nightmare69.

Hasn't happened to me but I had a Shih Tzu, Rocky, who liked carbs. He did not typically get flour tortillas but I was giving him some [too quickly] and he got choked and fell over on his side. I quickly did a doggie Heimlich, whacking him in the stomach, and he coughed up a ball of tortilla and was fine.
Whew!
No more Mexican food for Rocky after that!

[Cedar Park Dad]

I had to give Dad the Heimlich on the side of the road once. That was less fun then it could have been.

[Robert*PPS]

Reading this thread while eating lunch...slowed wayyyy down on what was a regular gulp fest.

Glad you're OK!

[carlson1]

That had to be a scary few seconds. Praise the Lord someone was there that knew what to do.