Anti-choking devices aren't as reliable as Heimlich maneuver | Opinion

There’s been a recent push among manufacturers of so-called anti-choking devices that have tirelessly been lobbying state and local elected officials across the country to require that schools have these devices on hand.

Our father, Dr. Henry Heimlich, the inventor of the Heimlich maneuver, knew a thing or two about how to save people from choking. Untold numbers of choking victims have been saved by the Heimlich maneuver around the world. Each week, there are dozens of news reports on lives saved by his method, and, rarely, is the Heimlich maneuver − when performed properly − not effective.

Dad also knew a great deal about anti-choking devices and emphatically warned the public against them, because he knew they tend to be unsafe and ineffective.

"The drawbacks of such devices are obvious," our father stated in his autobiography, "Heimlich’s Maneuvers": "They require that such instruments be handy in the unexpected instance that a person chokes. And it would be virtually impossible for choking victims to use these devices on themselves. … I knew there was no time for people to depend on a household instrument to perform the ‘pushing’ technique. What if the device was not handy at the time it was needed?"

When these devices didn't work, children died

A study published in Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology, a peer-reviewed publication of The Triological Society (ear, nose and throat physicians), examined the effectiveness of two leading brands of anti-choking devices, LifeVac and DeChoker.

The study concluded: "Both the LifeVac and DeChoker failed to remove the cashews and grapes from the airway in all trials. … The DeChoker resulted in gross injury to the tongue and failed to remove the obstruction (choking object) in all trials.”

LifeVac could only remove saltines and “failed to remove all other foreign bodies.” The researchers added, "Both devices may cause significant pressure and injury to the oral cavity in a clinical setting. … With the exception of the LifeVac removing saltine crackers, all trials were entirely unsuccessful in relieving foreign body aspiration.”

Several schoolchildren have died when these devices did not work.

In October 2024, WINK News reported that a fifth grader at an elementary school in Naples, Florida, died when the LifeVac device applied by the school staff did not work. According to this report, the deputy said the nurse aide was near the child, holding the LifeVac in her hand and frantically stated, "He’s choking! It’s not working!" By the time the deputy performed the Heimlich maneuver, the child was unresponsive.

Last February, as reported by ABC13, a third grader at Pomona Elementary in Manvel, Texas, died from choking on a grape: “According to the district, staff even used an airway clearance device, which is required to be in all schools by state law, but it wasn't able to dislodge the grape.” (Recall the study referenced above where these devices couldn’t dislodge grapes in every trial.)

Most school personnel aren't trained in the Heimlich maneuver

The manufacturers of these devices claim they should only be used if other protocols (i.e., the Heimlich maneuver) don’t work. The problem is that most school personnel are not trained in the Heimlich maneuver. Every jurisdiction should emulate Indiana, which requires anyone applying for a teaching license to complete training in the Heimlich maneuver. 

A choking person will die or suffer brain damage in 4 minutes. Let’s heed our father's words and not waste critical time on products that delay using the one proven method to save a choking victim: the Heimlich maneuver.

Phil Heimlich, a lawyer in Cincinnati, and Jan Heimlich, a writer in Rockland, Maine, are the son and daughter of Dr. Henry Heimlich, inventor of the Heimlich maneuver. This column originally appeared in the Cincinnati Enquirer.