Choking is a terrifying experience that can quickly turn deadly. While anti-choking devices offer a potential solution, it’s crucial to understand why established methods like the Heimlich maneuver for anyone over one-year-old and back blows and chest compressions for infants remain the most effective and reliable options.
The FDA’s Stance
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved any over-the-counter anti-choking devices. This is because their safety and effectiveness haven’t been conclusively established. In fact, the FDA warns that using these devices could delay critical lifesaving actions.
Below is a quote from the FDA’s stance on anti-choking devices:
“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) encourages the public to follow established choking rescue protocols, which are step-by-step guides, approved by the American Red Cross and the American Heart Association to relieve the airway obstruction in choking victims.”
– FDA Encourages the Public to Follow Established Choking Rescue Protocols: FDA Safety Communication
Time is of the Essence
One of the biggest drawbacks of anti-choking devices is the time factor. Finding, preparing, and using a device can take precious seconds that could mean the difference between life and death. Established choking maneuvers like the Heimlich maneuver can be initiated immediately without any delay.
This is one of the key points FDA makes in their article on the topic:
“Always follow established choking rescue protocols approved by the American Red Cross and the American Heart Association before considering other interventions, as these protocols have a high rate of success and can be carried out immediately without devices, saving valuable time.”
Potential for User Error
Anti-choking devices require proper application and technique to be effective. Incorrect use or improper placement can hinder the suction process and potentially worsen the situation. In contrast, the Heimlich maneuver and back blows and chest compressions are relatively straightforward techniques with clear instructions.
Every second is important and taking action immediately is imperative.
Heimlich Maneuver has Proven Success
The Heimlich maneuver, for example, boasts an impressive success rate of 86.5% according to the National Library of Medicine. This high rate of success is due to its simplicity and effectiveness in dislodging food from the airway.
While the LifeVac also has some proven success, it hasn’t stood the test of time like the existing choking response techniques.
Conclusion
We prioritize proven, effective methods that can be relied upon in a high-stress emergency situation.
While anti-choking devices may seem like a promising solution, the potential risks and delays associated with their use outweigh any perceived benefits, at least for now. The FDA’s stance, along with the overwhelming success of established choking rescue protocols, underscores the importance of sticking with what we know works.
Remember, in a choking emergency, every second counts. Don’t rely on unproven devices; instead, focus on mastering the lifesaving skills of the Heimlich maneuver and back blows and chest compressions. Your quick action could save a life.
While taking a class and getting hands on practice is best, below is a video on how to respond when someone is choking. The first video is for anyone above the age of one and the second is for infants.
If you are interested in practicing and becoming certified in choking first aid along with CPR and First Aid training, request a class here or join a class here.
One can’t do Hiemlich Maneuver on oneself now can we? People who live alone need help to stay alive, so what say you about that if falling on a chair does not work?
You bring up a very real concern—choking while alone can be especially frightening, and you’re right that it’s not easy to perform the Heimlich maneuver on yourself. In those situations, the best-proven self-help method is forcefully pressing your upper abdomen against a solid object (like the back of a chair or countertop edge) to try to create enough pressure to dislodge the object. It’s not perfect, but it is the technique most recommended by medical experts.
Anti-choking devices can seem like a good safety net, but it’s important for people to know that they are not FDA-approved medical devices at this time. That doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t work—it means they haven’t gone through the rigorous testing and approval process that ensures both effectiveness and safety. Until that happens, they should be seen as a possible backup rather than a replacement for learning standard first aid techniques.
For people who live alone, the most important steps are prevention (cutting food into small pieces, chewing well, avoiding talking while eating), making sure emergency services can be reached quickly, and learning/practicing self-Heimlich techniques. Having an anti-choking device on hand might provide peace of mind, but it should be paired with training and safe eating habits.
We know what to do if there is a second person around, but what about the people who live alone who seem to be the group most interested in these devices ? You seem to ignore most of those in need..
That’s a valid concern. Unfortunately, there isn’t a proven self-use device for choking emergencies. The challenge is that these devices have not been shown to be safe or effective for self-use during a choking emergency. When someone is truly choking, they may have only seconds before becoming too weak or unconscious, and using a device correctly on yourself can be extremely difficult.
If you’re alone and cannot cough or speak, call 911 if possible, then perform self-administered abdominal thrusts by forcefully pressing your upper abdomen against the back of a sturdy chair, countertop, or similar object. Continue trying to dislodge the obstruction until help arrives or the object is expelled.
It’s not that people who live alone are being ignored—it’s that recommendations have to be based on evidence. At this time, anti-choking devices have not been shown to be safe or effective for self-use, which is why they aren’t recommended in current first aid guidelines.
I have used the Heimlich maneuver with success on a small-framed male adult. However, on a 6′-6″ 300-plus-pound male with a girth, I can not reach around; I have my doubts if I could do it with any success.
Thank you Martin for your comment. In this case we recommend using a chair to help the person. Here is a video on how to do this. This is also what you would do if you are alone. This should be the first step but if you were to have someone else that could go get a LifeVac you could try that later assuming that the object isn’t removed via the normal methods. The main point is that this method is done with things you have already, but a LifeVac requires you to go get something. As a result the person may be unconscious by the time you can find and prepare the LifeVac.
Too many children and adults die each year from choking. Many people live alone and have a primary illness where choking is a possible secondary real symptom. Why not recommend any and everything possible to save them.
Thank you Karen for your comment. We agree it is so important to step in to attempt to save those children and adults lives. It isn’t that the LifeVac can’t be effective, but that it delays the response due to the need to go get the device. If you are alone using the chair method can be a faster response since chairs are commonly throughout a home. If you have LifeVac throughout the home and have training on how to use it that can be a viable option, but the main issue is time is not in your favor.
As of March 4th 2026, the FDA has granted LifeVac De Novo authorization as a Class II medical device, establishing the federal regulatory category for suction anti-choking devices used as a second-line intervention when traditional choking protocols fail. LifeVac is the only airway clearance device with FDA authorization for commercial sale in the United States within this regulatory classification.