Silent Aortic Dissection after the Heimlich Maneuver: A Case Report

The Heimlich maneuver is a simple and universal resuscitative procedure that is performed to relieve foreign-body airway obstruction. We present a case of silent Stanford type A aortic dissection, a rarely reported complication of the Heimlich maneuver.

A 67-year-old male presented to the emergency department with left-sided hemiplegia shortly after receiving a Heimlich maneuver. Acute ischemic stroke was suspected, and the thrombolytic protocol was initiated. Fortunately, Stanford type A aortic dissection was diagnosed before the thrombolytic therapy was initiated. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: Aortic dissection can develop after the Heimlich maneuver. For patients who develop a neurologic deficit after the Heimlich maneuver, vascular dissection should be considered as a possible cause.