Heimlich manoeuvre Health Dictionary

A forcible attempt to breathe out when the airway is closed.

The manoeuvre occurs naturally when an attempt is made to breathe out while holding the vocal cords tightly together.

This happens, for example, at the beginning of a sneeze.

When performed deliberately by pinching the nose and holding the mouth closed, the manoeuvre can prevent pressure damage to the eardrums (see barotrauma).... valsalva’s manoeuvre

This is carried out by closing the mouth, holding the nose and attempting to blow hard. The manoeuvre raises pressure in the chest – and, indirectly, the abdomen – and forces air from the back of the nose down the EUSTACHIAN TUBES to the middle ear. This latter e?ect can be used to clear the tube during descent in an aircraft, when it sometimes becomes blocked or partially blocked, producing di?erential pressures on the two sides of each eardrum, usually accompanied by temporary pain and deafness.

Valsalva’s manoeuvre is involuntarily performed when a person strains to open his or her bowels: in these circumstances the passage of air to the lungs is blocked by instinctive closure of the vocal cords in the LARYNX. The resultant raised abdominal pressure helps to expel the bowel contents. The manoeuvre is also used in the study of cardiovascular physiology because the rise in pressure in the chest restricts the return of venous blood to the right atrium of the HEART. Pressure in the peripheral VEINS is raised and the amount of blood entering and leaving the heart falls. This drop in cardiac output may cause the subject to faint because the supply of oxygenated blood to the brain is reduced.... valsalva’s manoeuvre

a test for *congenital dislocation of the hip that detects whether or not a hip can be readily dislocated. With the baby lying supine and the pelvis steadied with one hand, the hip being tested is gently adducted and backward pressure is applied to the head of the femur. If the hip is dislocatable, a clunk will be felt and sometimes heard (Von Rosen’s sign). If the hip is gently abducted, it will usually relocate. [T. Barlow (1845–1945), British physician]... barlow manoeuvre

a manoeuvre used during an assisted *breech presentation. The baby’s legs and trunk should be allowed to hang until the nape of the neck is visible at the mother’s perineum so that its weight exerts gentle downwards and backwards traction to promote flexion of the head. The fetal trunk is then swept in a wide arc over the maternal abdomen by grasping both the feet and maintaining gentle traction; the aftercoming head is slowly born in this process.

burr n. see bur.... burns–marshall manoeuvre

a series of head and body movements used to move microscopic debris from the posterior *semicircular canal in the inner ear. It is used in the treatment of *benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.... epley particle repositioning manoeuvre

a method for *reduction of an anteriorly dislocated shoulder by manipulation. Longitudinal traction is applied to the elbow, pulling down the shoulder, then the forearm, bent at the elbow, is externally rotated to 90°. [E. T. Kocher (1841–1917), Swiss surgeon]... kocher manoeuvre

rotation of the trunk of the fetus during a breech birth to facilitate delivery of the arms and the shoulders. This procedure is used when the fetal arms are extended due to previous inappropriate traction. [J. Løvset (20th century), Norwegian obstetrician]... løvset’s manoeuvre

(MSV manoeuvre) a technique used in breech delivery to promote flexion of, and safely deliver, the fetal head.... mauriceau–smellie–viet manoeuvre

a manoeuvre that overcomes most cases of *shoulder dystocia when the fetal shoulders are unable to pass through the mother’s pelvis. The maternal hips are sharply flexed against her abdomen: this rotates the maternal pelvis to encourage delivery.... mcrobert’s manoeuvre

see Mauriceau–Smellie–Viet manoeuvre.... msv manoeuvre

a test for *congenital dislocation of the hip in which, with the baby lying supine and the pelvis steadied with one hand, the examiner attempts to relocate a dislocated hip by gently abducting the hip while simultaneously pushing upwards on the greater trochanter. If the hip is dislocated, it will relocate with a detectable and sometimes audible clunk. [M. Ortolani (20th century), Italian orthopaedic surgeon]

os1 n. (pl. ossa) a bone.

os2 n. (pl. ora) the mouth or a mouthlike part.... ortolani manoeuvre

a series of head and body movements used to move microscopic debris from the posterior *semicircular canal in the inner ear. It is used in the treatment of *benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.... semont liberatory manoeuvre

an internal rotational manoeuvre to facilitate delivery in cases of *shoulder dystocia that have not responded to other measures. Using the fingertips of both hands, pressure is applied from behind the anterior shoulder and in front of the posterior shoulder. [C. E. Woods (20th century), US obstetrician]... woods’ screw manoeuvre