What you should know about first aid

When actor Clint Eastwood saw a man choking desperately, he managed to save his life, Newsmax Health reports.

Eastwood, 83, had learned the Heimlich maneuver years ago and remembered exactly what to do, performing the move perfectly on the man and dislodging a piece of cheese stuck in his airway.

“I looked in his eyes and saw that look of panic people have when they see their life passing before their eyes,” Eastwood said.

While the incident made headlines because a movie star was involved, knowledge of basic first aid along with assertive action saves lives every day, experts say.

Here are some common first aid moves everyone should know from Jeffrey Pellegrino, a member of the Red Cross Advisory Council who teaches emergency prevention at Kent State University.

When someone is choking: If a person can’t speak and appears to be choking, encourage coughing by rapping your fist firmly between their shoulder blades. If that doesn’t work, quickly do the Heimlich maneuver: Get behind the person, placing your hands just above their belly button. Make a fist with one hand and place the thumb side of your fist just above the navel. Grasp your fist with the other hand and give quick, forceful thrusts upward to dislodge the object. 

When someone appears to be having a heart attack: Pellegrino notes that symptoms can vary from person to person, so the best way to tell if he or she is in distress is to ask them how they feel and note if they are becoming pale, nauseous, or vomiting. Chest pain or pressure radiating to the jaw or neck and down the arm are classic symptoms, but not everyone experiences these signs. Dial 911 and give the person two, low-dose (81 mg) uncoated aspirins or break a standard-dose aspirin in half. If the person stops breathing, perform CPR. Clear the airways by tilting the head back and lifting the chin. Begin chest compressions until the paramedics arrive. If you don’t know CPR, the 911 operator can tell you how to do them.

When a person has severe bleeding:  In 95 percent of cases, applying direct pressure with a clean cloth to the wound will stop the flow. If necessary, use a piece of clothing. The use of a tourniquet is reserved if the blood loss appears life threatening. Use a belt or whatever is available to pinch off the flow of blood, placing the tourniquet between the wound and the heart.

Follow NEWS.am Medicine on Facebook and Twitter