On February 8, 2025, 73-year-old Mr. Xue began experiencing severe breathing difficulties while eating beef balls. His family urgently dialed 120 for help. The Fangshan sub-center, ambulance crew 202, received the task and immediately rushed to the scene. Upon arrival, the team found the patient with cyanosis around his lips. Dr. Fu Xing immediately performed the Heimlich maneuver, but due to the large size of the beef ball and its deep blockage in the airway, the patient's condition showed no improvement. The team quickly contacted the emergency room of Liangxiang Hospital to prepare for admission while transporting the patient to the hospital.
During transport, Dr. Fu used a laryngoscope to open the patient’s airway. Nurse Zhang Chunhua immediately began monitoring and administering oxygen, but the patient’s oxygen saturation was only 85%. Meanwhile, the emergency room was informed of the situation and swiftly activated the emergency green channel. The medical team prepared advanced equipment like a visual electronic laryngoscope and notified ENT specialists to be on standby for rescue.
Upon arrival at the emergency room, the medical team quickly exchanged patient information. The ENT doctor immediately took action, using the visual electronic laryngoscope along with a vacuum suction device. Through the laryngoscope, they observed the beef ball was lodged at the patient's epiglottis. At this point, the Heimlich maneuver should be carried out again. However, the elderly patient had previously suffered from cerebellar atrophy and dementia, and due to hypoxia and confusion, he was unable to stand. Nurse Zhang Weilin immediately moved the patient onto the bed, positioning him on his knees, with other medical staff assisting to support him. Nurse Zhang stood on the bed and performed the Heimlich maneuver. After several attempts, a 4-centimeter diameter beef ball was finally expelled from the patient’s mouth. His lips regained their natural color, consciousness gradually returned, and oxygen saturation increased to 94%. The entire medical team let out a sigh of relief.
This emergency response racing the time and the death demonstrated the quick reaction of the 120 team, seamless coordination between hospital handovers, and the effective integration of pre-hospital emergency care with in-hospital rescue efforts. This helped advance the threshold of emergency and critical care treatment, ensure that the critical time was maximized for the patient.
Warm Reminder from Beijing 120:
In daily life, if a foreign object causes airway obstruction, the Heimlich maneuver should be immediately applied, or a 120 emergency call should be made to seek help. This can help save precious time in life-threatening situations.
Heimlich Maneuver Instructions (For conscious adult patients with airway obstruction due to a foreign body, the abdominal thrust maneuver, the Heimlich maneuver, should be applied as soon as possible for rescue):
1. Stand or kneel behind the patient (depending on the height difference). Wrap your arms around their abdomen and instruct the patient to lean forward with their mouth open.
2. Make a fist with one hand, placing the thumb side of your fist just above the patient’s navel, away from the lower end of the breastbone. Grasp your fist with the other hand and deliver rapid abdominal thrusts.
3. Repeat the thrusts until the object is expelled and the patient can breathe, speak, or lose consciousness.
Important: If the patient becomes limp or unresponsive during the procedure, immediately begin CPR
