Ack. Thank goodness you didn't wind up lodging the obstruction in
even
further. Remember: gravity is at work, even inside your body.
Knock
something loose that's inside your airway, and the most likely place
for it
to go is down.

That was my concern too, Pete. She wasn't exactly sitting upright,
though. She was doubled over, gagging more than coughing.

The last thing a person having trouble breathing needs is a whack on
the
back. At least, not until you turn them upside down. I'm surprised
with
all your emergency medical training, no one's mentioned this.

I'd do it again... you probably had to be there to understand. It is
hard to describe her condition and varying positions with words.
Sometimes she was bent over like she was about to vomit into a toilet
positioned between the yokes. She would have gladly done so if
possible. Rember this took place over several minutes.

The traditional Heimlich is done from behind, of course, but it
seems to me
that with a strong enough arm, especially with a partial
obstruction, you
might have had some luck from the side. Just get your fist in good
under
her diaphragm (not, not THAT diaphragm...this is serious you guys
), and
push hard and quick, in the same motion you'd use from behind.

It would at least be worth a try.

Thank goodness it never came to the point that I needed to try it.
Your suggested method was on my list. I'd probably have kept trying
various things until successful or we were on the ground.

Barring success getting the thing out quickly, I can't imagine
flying all
the way to an airport, even one nearby. You should have appropriate
landing
sites below you nearly all the time.

Landing sites are few and far between in that neck of the woods. If
you have a chart of the area and are unfamiliar, take a look. I think
Aeroplanner might show the sectional if you want to try that.

A passenger choking seems to me to be
just as serious as an airplane on fire, and would warrant an
emergency
descent to an off-airport landing so that proper first-aid (e.g. a
real
from-behind Heimlich) can be given.

I agree and that was my plan if things progressively got worse. The
situation wasn't static. A million things ran through my mind. You
are correct about the traditional Hiemlich being done from behind but
there is also a modified version for a person who is passed out and
lying on the floor. You roll them on their back, straddle them while
kneeling and force air out of their lungs from the front side of the
victim.


Pete