abdominal thrusts

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abdominal thrusts (Heimlich manoeuvre) pl. n. a manoeuvre for the treatment of choking in which the patient is held firmly around the midriff just under the ribcage. The hands of the rescuer are held as a fist and short sharp thrusts into the patient's upper abdomen are made in order to dislodge the obstructing article from the airway. This procedure should not be performed on children under the age of one year.