whiskeydickclaws:
fine-ass-fatshion:
This is not like a fully completed thought but yk
So I’ve done my first aid + CPR a few times. And every single time I try and bring up scenarios for fat folks
Specifically like ‘what if someone is too large for me to wrap my arms around then to do the heimleich’
And its incredibly rare I get a decent answer.
How absolutely insane is it that me, as a fat person, is asking how to have MY life saved or to save ANOTHER life, is an impossible feat if someone is fat.
Most of the time they tell me to 'just try anyways uwu’
There has got to be a better option.
From a first aid and CPR trainer, who is also fat.
The heimleich is scientifically as effective as slapping someone VERY hard on the back. The only reason it’s so well taught is the man that invented it did a lot of great PR for himself. It’s also a bit easier for smaller framed people to get the necessary force in, because people are often extremely scared to hurt people, even in life threatening situations.
With larger bodied people, whether they be fat, tall, muscular, etc. If you cannot get your arms around them, literally just slap the shit out of their shoulders. You want hard, open palmed slaps right in the center of the shoulders or slightly below.
If they are too tall for you to reach that high, guide them to lean over the back of a chair, and then slap slap slap slap slap.
It’s been proven to be just as effective through many studies. It just doesn’t have a trademarked name and a dramatic effect in film.
If you have to do CPR on a larger bodied person, again, fat, body builder, tall and broad, whoever, the trick to finding where you want to put your hands if going to be to take your hand and shove it in their armpit. No seriously. Put your hand in their armpit, then drag it in a straight line towards yourself until you’re in the center of the chest, then put your other hand beneath that one. This is where you push. Then you are going to move the arm closest to you out of the way so you can get closer to them, and get the leverage you need to press down for compressions. The more of your body weight that is over your hands, the better the compression will be. Act like you are trying desperately to pack the last of your clothes in a suitcase, and just slam down hard on their chest.
They will make *horrible* noises. You might even break ribs.
But a broken rib is better than being dead.
One day, perhaps, other CPR and First Aid instructors will actually know and teach this shit. But the medical field is filled with people who don’t know, don’t care, or just outright hate fat people. So while this information won’t fix your complaint, I do hope it helps someone out there with saving their loved ones, should it ever be needed.
requested by anonymous:
RATING: RELIABLE
The evidence and research comparing different anti-choking maneuvers isn’t conclusive. It is unclear whether back slaps or abdominal thrusts are more effective.
Source: ‘Today, the Heimlich maneuver is accepted and taught during BLS and ACLS for conscious adults, but backslaps are still a recommendation for infants, and chest compressions are recommended for unconscious patients. Furthermore, different techniques of the maneuver have been developed with conflicting effectiveness results.’
Source: ‘What’s the right way to save a choking victim’s life? It turns out, the Heimlich maneuver is not the only approach – and it may not even be the best one. Repeated blows to the back could be equally useful in a dangerous situation. You might be thinking that back blows will only lodge the food deeper into a person’s trachea. But this is a myth perpetuated by Dr. Henry Heimlich.’
Most current advice for severe choking (when the individual is unable to cough, speak, or breathe at all) is to start with 5 back blows, and if this is unsuccessful, precede with 5 abdominal thrusts (aka Heimlich maneuver), except for in infants or pregnant people.
Source: ‘Stand behind them and slightly to one side. Support their chest with 1 hand. Lean them forward so the object blocking their airway will come out of their mouth, rather than moving further down. Give up to 5 sharp blows between their shoulder blades with the heel of your hand. The heel is between the palm of your hand and your wrist. Check if the blockage has cleared. If not, give up to 5 abdominal thrusts.’
If back slaps have not worked, and the person who is choking is too large for you to do the Heimlich, you can try to give chest thrusts instead. This is when you wrap your arms directly around, rather than around and down to their abdomen.
Source: ‘For a responsive pregnant victim, or any victim you cannot get your arms around, give chest thrusts.’
[ID: Two images. The first shows someone performing a Heimlich maneuver on someone, reaching from behind and clasping their fist over the choking person’s abdomen. The second shows a chest thrust position for a larger individual. The person performing the chest thrust has their arms wrapped directly around the choking person, clasping across their chest. End ID]
The Heimlich, or abdominal compressions, can be dangerous, possibly more so than the alternatives.
Source: ‘According to case reports, the Heimlich maneuver is associated with serious complications especially in elderly patients. Life threatening injuries associated with the Heimlich maneuver suggest that this procedure should be substituted with a safer procedure such as chest thrusts or chest compressions.’
I haven’t found anything to back up or refute the suggestion of putting your hands under their armpits first as a guide. The general advice is to place your hands at the centre of the chest, between the nipples - but this may not be as accurate in people who are overweight or have large breasts.
Source: ‘If the person is an adult, place the heel of one of your hands in the center of their chest, between the nipples. Put your other hand on top of the first. Interlock your fingers and raise them up so only the heel of your hand remains on their chest.’
It is advised that you use your body weight when performing compressions (on adults), in order to push down hard enough. This is particularly important on overweight people, who studies show tend to receive shallower compressions.
Source: ‘Using your body weight (not just your arms), press straight down by 5 to 6cm (2 to 2.5 inches) on their chest.’
Source: ‘However, morbidly obese patients trended towards receiving shallower chest compressions than smaller patients (42 mm vs 45 mm, p=0.44).’
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