The main purpose of the Heimlich procedure (Heimlich maneuver, or abdominal thrusts) is to clear a blocked airway in a choking person by forcing a trapped object out of the windpipe so they can breathe again.

Quick Scoop: What it actually does

  • The Heimlich maneuver is an emergency first-aid technique used when someone is choking on food or another foreign object that is blocking the upper airway.
  • By delivering quick, upward abdominal thrusts, it uses the air in the lungs to create a powerful artificial “cough” that can blast the obstruction out of the trachea (windpipe).
  • Its goal is simple and life-or-death: restore airflow so the person can breathe, cough, or speak again and avoid suffocation.

In one sentence: the Heimlich procedure is meant to save a choking person by using abdominal thrusts to expel whatever is blocking their airway.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.