Kulick: LifeVac sucks obstructions from choking victims' airways

Recently on a news broadcast there was a spot highlighting the LifeVac device and its inventor Arthur Lih’s endeavor to provide every school in the United States with one of the devices. As an American Heart Association CPR Instructor (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation) and someone involved with our local schools, I found this to be very interesting.

Lih is a retired New York City police officer. He was inspired to create and invent the LifeVac after he saw a tragic choking incident. He determined the need for a more effective method to clear a blocked airway when traditional methods, such as the Heimlich maneuver, were unsuccessful.

The Heimlich maneuver was developed by Dr. Henry Heimlich, an American thoracic surgeon, in the 1970s.  You may know it today by the description referenced as abdominal thrusts. After seeing so many die as a result of choking, Dr. Heimlich realized that the traditional back blows and chest thrusts (nor the even older practice of putting a person on top of a barrel and rolling them back and forth) were not always successful in clearing the airway, especially in a conscious, but choking, victim.

In 1974, Dr. Heimlich published an article in the journal Emergency Medicine, describing the technique now known as the Heimlich maneuver. It involves standing behind the choking person, placing a fist just above the navel, and grasping it with the other hand. Quick upward thrusts are then applied (similar to scooping ice cream) to create pressure that can expel the obstruction.

Handling choking emergencies is included in virtually all CPR and First Aid classes and as a result over the years, has saved many lives. The technique is taught to many healthcare providers, lifeguards, police, caregivers and many more. Having used this on a choking child and adult, I can vouch for the relief when that obstruction is cleared.

Back to the LifeVac. LifeVac not FDA-approved, or endorsed by the American Heart Association (AHA). The unit is FDA registered as a Class II medical device. As such it is exempt from pre-market clearance, although it is required to be registered. Currently the AHA does not endorse the device, citing insufficient research documenting safety and efficacy of the device itself.

All that being said, choking is the fourth-leading death of those under 5. Lih invented the LifeVac in his garage after having seen that tragic death of a 7-year-old, who reminded him of his son at the time. According to his reports, the device has saved over 1,200 people including over 800 children. His impetus to place the devices in schools is, as he said, that five to 10 children choke to death in schools across the country each year.

The device is plunger-like and works on all ages, creating a vacuum that basically sucks out the obstruction. By his estimation, there are about 100,000 schools in the United States that can receive the unit with an estimated cost to the company of between $6 to $7 million.

You or your school may want to investigate whether this is a useful device for home or school. Visit the website at www.LifeVac.net. School administrators interested in learning more or obtaining a unit should email schools@lifevac.net. Every life saved is important!

Debbie Kulick is an EMT who writes a weekly news column for the Pocono Record.

This article originally appeared on Pocono Record: Kulick: LifeVac creator provides alternative to Heimlich maneuver