TY - JOUR
T1 - Dangers of the Heimlich Maneuver for Esophageal Obstruction
AU - Sams, Jeffrey S.
AU - Nelson, Kevin R.
PY - 1989/10/5
Y1 - 1989/10/5
N2 - To the Editor: In a letter entitled “Heimlich Maneuver for Esophageal Obstruction” (April 13 issue),1 Dr. Nelson described his successful use of the Heimlich maneuver in treating a high-esophageal obstruction caused by a hard candy his daughter had swallowed. I do not think that this practice can be safely recommended for the treatment of esophageal obstruction. This maneuver is associated with complications that include vomiting and aspiration,2 perforation of the esophagus, stomach, or jejunum,3 4 5 cardiac and great-vessel trauma,6,7 and herniation of the diaphragm8 and of the pneumomediastinum.9 The dangers are illustrated by the case of a woman who had esophageal.
AB - To the Editor: In a letter entitled “Heimlich Maneuver for Esophageal Obstruction” (April 13 issue),1 Dr. Nelson described his successful use of the Heimlich maneuver in treating a high-esophageal obstruction caused by a hard candy his daughter had swallowed. I do not think that this practice can be safely recommended for the treatment of esophageal obstruction. This maneuver is associated with complications that include vomiting and aspiration,2 perforation of the esophagus, stomach, or jejunum,3 4 5 cardiac and great-vessel trauma,6,7 and herniation of the diaphragm8 and of the pneumomediastinum.9 The dangers are illustrated by the case of a woman who had esophageal.
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U2 - 10.1056/NEJM198910053211419
DO - 10.1056/NEJM198910053211419
M3 - Letter
C2 - 2779626
AN - SCOPUS:0024436991
SN - 0028-4793
VL - 321
SP - 980
EP - 981
JO - New England Journal of Medicine
JF - New England Journal of Medicine
IS - 14
ER -