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Henry Heimlich

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Henry J. Heimlich (b. February 3, 1920), an American physician, is primarily known for the invention of the Heimlich Maneuver.

Heimlich was born in Wilmington, Delaware. He graduated from Cornell University with a B.A. in 1941, and received his M.D. from the Weill Cornell Medical College in 1943. He is best known for the choking treatment named after him. Heimlich first published his findings on the use of this maneuver in 1974, and within a week a newspaper reported it had been used to save a choking victim. In 2003, Heimlich's 30-year colleague, Edward A. Patrick MD PhD of Union, Kentucky, claimed to be the uncredited co-developer of the maneuver.

From 1985-2005, the Heimlich maneuver was the only recommended treatment for choking in the published guidelines of the American Heart Association and the American Red Cross. In 2006, both organizations drastically changed course and "downgraded" the use of the Heimlich maneuver. For conscious victims, the new guidelines recommend first applying backslaps; if this method failed to remove the airway obstruction, rescuers were to then apply abdominal thrusts. For unconscious victims, the new guidelines recommend chest thrusts, a method first recommended in a 1976 study by Charles Guildner MD whose results were duplicated in a year 2000 study by Audun Langhelle MD. The 2006 guidelines also eliminated the phrase "Heimlich maneuver" and replaced it with the more descriptive "abdominal thrust."

Dr. Heimlich's promotion of the use of abdominal thrusts in cases of near-drowning has been dogged by allegations of case fraud, based on the research of his son, Peter M. Heimlich. The 2005 drowning rescue guidelines of the American Heart Association removed all citations or articles written by Dr. Heimlich and warn against the use of the Heimlich maneuver for drowning rescue as unproven and dangerous, since it may induce vomiting leading to aspiration.

Year 2005 choking rescue guidelines published by the American Heart Association ceased referring to "the Heimlich maneuver" and instead called the procedure "abdominal thrusts." The guideliness also state that chest thrusts and back blows may also be effective treatments for choking.

Recently, Heimlich's promotion of "malariotherapy" to treat HIV infection has attracted press attention. Jason Zengerle, in an April 23, 2007 article for The New Republic states, "Of all the battles Heimlich has waged, none has proven as controversial as malariatherapy--the practice of intentionally infecting a patient with malaria in order to treat another ailment." After years of unsuccessful attempts to cure cancer and Lyme disease with malaria, Heimlich has turned his attention to HIV. According to Zengerle, "Eminent immunology experts, such as the director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Anthony Fauci, dismissed Heimlich's idea as 'quite dangerous and scientifically unsound.'"


Heimlich is the uncle of actor and director Anson Williams, best known for his portrayal of Warren "Potsie" Weber on the long-running hit television series Happy Days.

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