LifeVac, a choking emergency device, has demonstrated a 99% success rate, as highlighted by a study recently published in the specialized journal Resuscitation Plus, which proves the usefulness of choking devices. anti-choking devices in relation to the standard protocol (abdominal thrusts).
Cases of choking are more frequent than it seems, especially among those people suffering neurological, chewing or swallowing problemssuch as dysphagia. In fact, according to the latest report from the INE (National Institute of Statistics) asphyxia due to choking is one of the leading causes of accidental death in Spain, even surpassing traffic accidents, which means more than 5 deaths per day.
In a case of choking, the rapid intervention is essential, since, in the absence of oxygen, brain death begins after only 4 minutes. The current treatment of OVACE (Foreign body airway obstruction) is based on a protocol that ranges from inducing the patient to cough, to pats on the back, abdominal compressions (Heimlich Maneuver) and chest compressions, but depending on the situation in which said event occurs and the state of the person affected, it is not always possible to practice them effectively or they hinder their success.
LifeVac is a choking emergency device that, due to its efficiency and ease of use, is very useful in nursing homes and social health centers.
The article published in the journal Resuscitation Plus reports the conclusions of a randomized, controlled, crossover trial carried out by British researchers from the University of Warwick and Birmingham Hospital with the devices. LifeVac and dechoker, and a Chocking Charlie dummy as a patient. The study was reviewed and approved by the Ethical Committee for Scientific and Biomedical Research from the University of Warwick and was carried out in the Faculty of Medicine of this University.
In recent years they have developed Mechanisms of intervention in the event of choking based on suction, in which manual suction is applied through a face mask. As the British researchers point out, no studies to date have compared these devices with standard care, while claiming that “the efficiency and ease of use are important factors in determining whether a medical device should be adopted in practice”.
The objective result of the study was the successful removal of foreign body airway obstruction in 4 minutes. Airway obstruction by a foreign body (OVACE) was removed with success in 99% of cases with LifeVacin it 74% with Dechoker and in the 71% of cases in cases of abdominal compressions (Heimlich maneuver).
Regarding the current protocol, the authors specify in the study that “After its first description in 1974, and despite the initial controversy, the abdominal thrusts they have become a fundamental component of the OVACE guidelines. However, success rates are difficult to determine as the data is limited to case series. The strongest clinical report on the efficacy of abdominal thrusts indicates a 79% success rate for OVACE removal.”. The authors advocate continuing research in the clinical setting to understand the potential role of suction devices in the treatment of airway obstruction by foreign bodies.
In light of these data, It is presented as an additional non-invasive, effective, easy-to-use emergency resource that helps to minimize the risk of death from suffocation due to choking. The current protocols for these cases should always be carried out first and are standardized in the ERC guidelines. However, depending on the situation in which said event occurs and the state of the affected person, it is not always possible to practice them effectively or they hinder their success, as is the case of people in wheelchairs, obese or very bulky people. , elderly or pregnant.
More than 120 lives saved around the world
LifeVac has so far reported over 120 lives saved worldwide, with an age range of those affected between 9 months and 96 years. The last of them, a woman residing at the Residència Pla de Martís center (Esponellà, Girona) who recovered from chokingafter performing the Heimlich maneuver without success, thanks to the use of this device, according to reports from those responsible for the center.
The 81 year old woman, with Alzheimer’s disease but with autonomy, choked on a profiterole while eating, which caused a total obstruction of the airway. The patient was immediately attended to by the health service of the center, who proceeded to apply the protocol established for these cases, abdominal compressions (Heimlich maneuver), which failed to release the obstruction. The center has, as an additional option for these cases, an anti-choking device, consisting of a mask and a suction valve.
The professionals who attended her applied this device to the woman, who was unconscious, managing to extract the piece of cake lodged in her throat, recovering her breath and consciousness. The woman was taken to the hospital for a complete examination. The gerontologist at the center who treated the resident considers that the LifeVac device “it is very useful” and that thanks to him it was possible “save the life of the resident”.