Last time I did my first aide certificate here in Australia (late 90s), if the back slapping is unsuccessful, the preferred technique was to lay them down on th

Last time I did my first aide certificate here in Australia (late 90s), if the back slapping is unsuccessful, the preferred technique was to lay them down on their side, place your hands under their armpit, flat over their ribs and try short, sharp compressions, squeezing the lungs. Because the Heimlich technique is so well known, I remember the instructor citing the above as superior because it was less likely to break ribs or do other internal damage. Caveat: This is in the case of complete obstruction and/or unconsciousness. If it is a partial obstruction, and you can keep the person calm enough to breathe enough, call an ambulance. All first aide is about keeping the person alive long enough for the professionals to take over, not being a hero that solves the problem yourself. Looked up St John's and it looks like the technique has changed since then: [1] This actually sounds harder for effective compressions though, and requires more strength. [1] http://www.stjohnambulance.com.au/docs/posters/ehs_choking_a3.pdf http://www.stjohnambulance.com.au/docs/posters/ehs_choking_a...