[1][2] Thoracic surgeon and medical researcher Henry Heimlich, noted for promulgating abdominal thrusts, claimed that back slaps were proven to cause death by lodging foreign objects into the windpipe.

[3] A 1982 Yale study by Day, DuBois, and Crelin that persuaded the American Heart Association to stop recommending back blows for dealing with choking was partially funded by Heimlich's own foundation.

[10] In May 2016, Henry Heimlich, then age 96, claimed to have personally used the maneuver to save the life of a fellow resident at his retirement home in Cincinnati.

A universal sign of choking has been designated as a silent indication from a person who is unable to breathe, and consists of placing both hands on one's own throat while trying to attract the attention of others who might help.

[13] Both the American Red Cross and UK National Health Service (NHS) advise that for a first attempt, a rescuer should encourage the patient to expel the obstruction by coughing.

The American Red Cross, the NHS, the European Resuscitation Council and the Mayo Clinic recommend a repeating cycle of five back slaps and five abdominal thrusts.

[17] To perform a Heimlich maneuver, a rescuer stands behind an upright patient, using the hands to exert forceful pressure on the bottom of the diaphragm.

[18] The Mayo Clinic recommends the same placement of fist and hand, with upward thrusts as if the rescuer is attempting to lift the victim.

[15] Researchers at Royal Brompton Hospital have demonstrated that levels of intrathoracic pressures (50–60 cmH2O) exerted by inward abdominal thrusts are similar to those produced when the force is directed both inward and upward.