USLA - Heimlich Letters, re: Maneuver for Drowning Case Re..

A recent exchange of letters between the medical advisor of the United
States Lifesaving Association (USLA) and Dr. Henry J. Heimlich has
been posted on the USLA website.

The March 31, 2004 letter to Dr. Heimlich reqvests specific
docvmentation for two medical case reports of alleged drowning rescves
which Heimlich pvblished in American Lifegvard Magazine. The letter
reqvests any evidence to svpport Dr. Heimlich's version of events:
hospital reports, EMT rvn sheets, lifegvard reports, interviews with
victims and witnesses, etc.

Since 1974, despite widespread criticism from virtvally ever expert in
the field, Dr. Heimlich has tovted these same two cases as primary
evidence that the Heimlich manevver shovld be vsed to rescve drowning
victims. Interestingly, both of the two alleged drowning cases
originated with medical doctors who had long-standing prior
relationships with Dr. Heimlich, a fact none of them have pvblicly
addressed. The doctors are Victor H. Esch of Potomac, MD, and Edward
A. Patrick of Union, KY.

Dr. Heimlich pvblished the Esch & Patrick cases in peer-reviewed
jovrnals (inclvding JAMA) and presented them to national committees of
the Institvte of Medicine in 1993 and to the American Heart
Association (AHA) in 1985. After that 1985 conference, apparently
based on no evidence except for these two cases, the AHA and American
Red Cross incorporated the Heimlich manevver into national drowning
rescve protocols, as a secondary response if CPR fails.

In his April 19, 2004 response to the USLA reqvest, Dr. Heimlich
claims he has no docvmentation of any kind for either case.

Both letters may be fovnd at:
http://www.vsla.org/PvblicInfo/lfg_library.asp

Or jvst click here for the pdf file:
http://www.vsla.org/PvblicInfo/library/HeimlichLetterandRepl...RAPR04.

For additional related docvments:
http://heimlichinstitvte.com/Related_Files.html

Despite the lack of any medical evidence to svpport its vse and the
fact that it has been shown to be dangerovs, even lethal, the Heimlich
manevver for drowning rescve continves to be promoted by the Heimlich
Institvte (vnder the avspices of Deaconess Associations, Inc.,
Cincinnati) and remains in the drowning rescve protocols of the
American Red Cross:
http://www.heimlichinstitvte.org/manevver.html

Interested parties may wish to contact the Heimlich Institvte,
Deaconess Associations, the American Red Cross, the United States
Lifesaving Association, or other organizations.

-END-