This is not like a fully completed thought but yk
So I've done my first aid + CPR a few times. And every single time I try and bring up scenarios for fat folks
Specifically like 'what if someone is too large for me to wrap my arms around then to do the heimleich'
And its incredibly rare I get a decent answer.
How absolutely insane is it that me, as a fat person, is asking how to have MY life saved or to save ANOTHER life, is an impossible feat if someone is fat.
Most of the time they tell me to 'just try anyways uwu'
There has got to be a better option.
From a first aid and CPR trainer, who is also fat.
The heimleich is scientifically as effective as slapping someone VERY hard on the back. The only reason it's so well taught is the man that invented it did a lot of great PR for himself. It's also a bit easier for smaller framed people to get the necessary force in, because people are often extremely scared to hurt people, even in life threatening situations.
With larger bodied people, whether they be fat, tall, muscular, etc. If you cannot get your arms around them, literally just slap the shit out of their shoulders. You want hard, open palmed slaps right in the center of the shoulders or slightly below.
If they are too tall for you to reach that high, guide them to lean over the back of a chair, and then slap slap slap slap slap.
It's been proven to be just as effective through many studies. It just doesn't have a trademarked name and a dramatic effect in film.
If you have to do CPR on a larger bodied person, again, fat, body builder, tall and broad, whoever, the trick to finding where you want to put your hands if going to be to take your hand and shove it in their armpit. No seriously. Put your hand in their armpit, then drag it in a straight line towards yourself until you're in the center of the chest, then put your other hand beneath that one. This is where you push. Then you are going to move the arm closest to you out of the way so you can get closer to them, and get the leverage you need to press down for compressions. The more of your body weight that is over your hands, the better the compression will be. Act like you are trying desperately to pack the last of your clothes in a suitcase, and just slam down hard on their chest.
They will make *horrible* noises. You might even break ribs.
But a broken rib is better than being dead.
One day, perhaps, other CPR and First Aid instructors will actually know and teach this shit. But the medical field is filled with people who don't know, don't care, or just outright hate fat people. So while this information won't fix your complaint, I do hope it helps someone out there with saving their loved ones, should it ever be needed.
Information that will save lives.
Im adding to this. I just asked my partner who is a Specialist Critical Care Paramedic in the UK (its a much more technical role here).
The heimlich is more effective than slapping someone on the back. Back slaps can work if the object is lodged higher in the throat. But if the object is lodged lower in the throat it won't help, and may make things worse. The heimlich provides upwards force to dislodge the object. Back slapping is also less effective on bigger bodies.
Options for completing the heimlich on bigger bodies (my partner assumed the person was obese when giving this advice).
1) have them stand against the wall with the back bracing on the wall and perform the heimlich upwards push from the front.
2) have them lay down with a support under the head and shoulders and perform the same heimlich upwards push. (Possibly have a second person manually clear the airway depending on what the person is choking on)
They gave other advice:
If unconscious, you need to "ramp" an obese person. This mean putting cushions under their upper body and head to elevate, this is because sometimes a person's body weight can compress their lungs and make life saving attempts less effective. Though this is NOT as important as starting CPR/ removing obstruction.
CPR will need to be done with more physical force. Because of this you get more tired and need to rotate who is doing CPR more frequently in order to ensure you are maintaining necessary force and pace. The above comment on finding the heart is really important, my partner says in the same way you would move big boobs out the way to do CPR move the parts of the body you need to out the way to do CPR. One reason women and fat people have worse outcomes with CPR is because people feel too awkward to move boobs and fat bits out the way to save the person's life.
Hope this is useful. With love. X
