Today, I am thankful for those simple inventions that save lives.
As humans, we take certain amazing, life-saving creations for granted. Many of us will get into our car this morning, and the first thing we will naturally do, in a rather subconscious way, is fasten our seat belts. If we take a bike ride instead, we will immediately reach for our trusted helmet. Even when we choose to stay at home, we have certain inventions nearby to warn us if there is a fire (smoke alarms) and a tool to combat it (a fire extinguisher).
Every one of these inventions protects us from personal or property harm. However, none of these inventions have ever been shown in a large research trial to be effective. Yet, we know they work based on anecdotal experience. Let’s put it this way: Would you be a willing participant in a placebo-controlled trial to demonstrate the effectiveness of a parachute? I think not.
In clinical medicine, we often undertake human trials to demonstrate the value of a medicinal product, a procedure, or screening measure. However, there are a few we accept as effective, based solely on observational data.
Case in point is the Heimlich maneuver, a technique to reverse choking resulting from food (or other objects) entering the tracheal airway. Until the 1970s, the standard for dealing with choking was to slap a person on their back, but this maneuver often led to the food being further pushed down the airway. Dr. Henry Heimlich, a thoracic surgeon in Cincinnati, discovered a method whereby abdominal thrusts could be applied upward on a person’s abdomen, just below the ribcage. He tested the technique successfully on an anesthetized dog, and then immediately got the word out through publication & the public press in early June 1974. Within weeks, the first victim, a lady choking in the state of Washington, was saved. Since then, over 100,000 have been saved annually with the technique.
And, the best part is that anyone can do the Heimlich maneuver.
If you don’t know how to perform the maneuver, take the time to learn it today (Feb 3), in commemoration of Dr. Henry Heimlich’s 100th birthday. It might help save someone’s life.
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