ObjectiveTo explore the forensic pathology features of foreign body and its emergency treatment: Heimlich maneuver.
MethodsWe carried out a review of relevant literature and autopsy findings of 8 cases of foreign body suffocation at West China Forensic Identification Center of Sichuan University from 2000 to 2012.
ResultsThe most common foreign body reported was undigested food. Children, old people and middle-aged men who were drunk were vulnerable to choking. The most effective resuscitative procedure in such cases was Heimlich maneuver, but it had been noted to result in significant intra-abdominal and intra-thoracic injuries if performed incorrectly.
ConclusionIt is necessary to take some preventive measures to avoid the foreign body, and the publicity of Heimlich maneuver to reduce the incidence and mortality of foreign body is important.
