How Should You Help Someone Who's Choking?

It's commonly accepted that when someone is choking on food because it's lodged in their throat, you are supposed to help them dislodge it by using the Heimlich maneuver. On the other hand, is this actually the best way to go about helping a choking victim?

According to this video, the Heimlich maneuver is not the only way to save a choking victim's life. In fact, Dr. Henry Heimlich worked very hard back in the day to discredit all theories that went against the Heimlich maneuver, probably so he could have his name in the maneuver.

Scientific studies have shown that blows to the back are neither more or less effective than the Heimlich maneuver, which has since been renamed to abdominal thrusts. If you were to see someone choking, it's recommended you administer blows to the back five times in between the shoulder blades and then perform five abdominal thrusts, then repeat as necessary.

If the victim is to fall unconscious, you should follow-up with chest compressions and rescue breaths, which can not only help dislodge the food item, but also keep the person breathing until medical help arrives.