The use of unauthorized anti-choking devices sold over the counter “could delay critical lifesaving action,” warns the Food and Drug Administration, which instead recommends using established first aid procedures for choking.
Anti-choking devices work by creating negative pressure (suction) over the mouth to clear the airway of a person who’s choking. The agency says it hasn’t authorized the devices for marketing, “meaning the FDA has not evaluated the safety and effectiveness of those devices.”
Instead, the FDA recommends using American Red Cross and American Heart Association first aid guidelines for adults, children and infants. That includes a combination of back blows and/or abdominal thrusts (also called the Heimlich maneuver).
That National Safety Council offers first aid training, as well as the NSC First Aid app for iPhones.
