Abdominal thrusts Abdominal thrusts Abdominal thrusts (also called the Heimlich maneuver or Heimlich manoeuvre, ) is a first aid procedure used to treat upper airway obstructions (or choking) by foreign objects. The term Heimlich maneuver is named after Dr. Henry Heimlich, who first described it in 1974. Performing abdominal thrusts involves a rescuer standing behind a patient and using his or her hands to exert pressure on the bottom of the diaphragm. This compresses the lungs and exerts pressure on any object lodged in the trachea, hopefully expelling it. Most modern protocols, including those of the American Heart Association, American Red Cross
William Henry Richardson William Henry Richardson William Henry Richardson (December 5, 1808 – December 14, 1878) was an American physician and politician. Richardson, only son of Levi and Amelia (Trumbull) Richardson, was born in Chaplin, then a part of Mansfield, Conn., December 5, 1808. At an early age he moved with his parents to North Mansfield, Conn., where he resided much the greater part of his life. He pursued his medical studies, first with Dr. Archibald Welch of Mansfield, subsequently with Dr. Samuel B. Woodward of Wethersfield and Dr. Silas Fuller of Columbia, and at the medical school of Yale College, where he