The Heimlich maneuver is an emergency procedure for removing a foreign object lodged in the airway that is preventing a person from breathing.

Every year about 3,000 adults die because they accidentally inhale rather than swallow food. The food blocks their windpipe (trachea), making breathing impossible. Death follows rapidly unless the food or other foreign material can be displaced from the airway.

The Heimlich maneuver, or abdominal thrusts, is simple enough that it can be performed immediately by anyone trained in the maneuver. By compressing the abdomen, air is forced out of the lungs, dislodging the obstruction and bringing the foreign material up into the mouth.

The maneuver is used mainly when solid material like food, coins, vomit, or small toys are blocking the airway. There has been some controversy about whether it is appropriate to use routinely on near-drowning victims. The American Red Cross and American...