Abdominal aortic thrombosis in association with an attempted Heimlich maneuver.
We report herein a case of an incorrectly applied Heimlich maneuver--to the best of our knowledge, the first reported fatal complication associated with a Heimlich maneuver, acute thrombosis of an abdominal aortic aneurysm, and the distal aorta. While the Heimlich maneuver is effective for the relief of foreign body-induced upper airway obstruction, increased efforts should be directed toward instructing the public in correctly recognizing and optimally treating airway obstruction.
D000208:Acute Disease; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000628:therapy*; D001012:Aorta, Abdominal / Q000293:injuries; D001014:Aortic Aneurysm / Q000150:complications*; D004630:Emergencies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011312:Pressure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000209:etiology*; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000150:complications