Abdominal aortic thrombosis in association with an attempted Heimlich maneuver

We report herein a case of an incorrectly applied Heimlich maneuver--to the best of our knowledge, the first reported fatal complication associated with a Heimlich maneuver, acute thrombosis of an abdominal aortic aneurysm, and the distal aorta. While the Heimlich maneuver is effective for the relief of foreign body-induced upper airway obstruction, increased efforts should be directed toward instructing the public in correctly recognizing and optimally treating airway obstruction.