You may have heard about the Dechoker anti-choking device that has now saved 32 lives around the globe, and wondered if it really works. When it comes to something as critical as a choking emergency, it is completely natural to have curiosity, questions, and yes, even some doubt.
The truest testimony of the Dechoker’s effectiveness comes from the first responders whose actions have saved dozens of lives — including fathers, mothers, grandparents, and other loved ones who otherwise would not be here today.
Our team has been working behind the scenes for months in our commitment to follow up with these caretakers in order to find out how the Dechoker has made the difference between life and death. We are thrilled to now share this information with you.
Post Market Surveillance Report, United Kingdom
The Dechoker has become commonplace in many care facilities in the United Kingdom, so it’s no surprise we have received an increasing number of reports of lives saved across the UK. The following information was detailed in Dechoker Use Reports:
- According to staff at Timken Grange, a care home in Northhamptonshire, an 85-year-old man started choking while eating his lunch in July of 2018. A staff member delivered back blows in an effort to remove the obstruction. When repeated attempts at black blows did not work, a staff member used the Dechoker. The obstruction was removed on the second pull of the first cycle, and the man was again able to breathe. It should be noted in this case the resident is of a size that delivering abdominal thrusts was not possible.
- In a similar case that happening in September of 2018, a 90-year-old woman began choking on mashed potatoes while eating lunch at Dudbrook Hall in Essex. According to staff, members moved the woman, who is in a wheelchair, to a safer place and began delivering back blows. Staff reported she was “turning blue” and became unresponsive. At that point, they used the Dechoker with the resident in her chair. The food was removed on the second pull of the first cycle, and the resident subsequently regained consciousness.
- In another reported incident at Ashlands Care Centre in Greater Manchester, UK, staff came to the rescue of a 97-year-old woman who was choking on grapes in April of 2018. Staff observed the woman vomiting and reported that she was blue and appeared to have passed out. Staff members immediately deployed the Dechoker, with one holding the mask over the resident’s face and another operating the device. The grape was removed on the second attempt with the Dechoker. With the obstruction cleared, the woman began to cough and again appeared alert. Staff reported that they felt the Dechoker was “easy to use” and that they were “confident in its use.” As paramedics had already been called, they arrived one hour later and decided to take the resident the hospital for further evaluation as a precaution. She has since made a full recovery.
Post Market Surveillance Report, Spain
The Dechoker has also been successfully used during choking emergencies across Spain. The following information was collected by our team in Dechoker Use Reports in that country:
- In May of 2018, a female resident of a care home in Montant, Castellón, who feeds autonomously, began choking on her snack. Staff used the Dechoker to successfully remove the obstruction, noting, “The rapid performance of the equipment was fundamental and this episode was reversed thanks to the use of the Dechoker and the training received by the team of the official distributors for the Valencian community,” noting the Dechoker is “indispensable.”
- Dechoker Use Reports also detail an incident in February of 2018, when staff members used the device to save the life of a woman of unknown age at a care home in Las Rozas, Madrid after she began choking on a hard-boiled egg. One staff member noted, “I found it really useful, since I could quickly extract what was producing the respiratory problem to the user.”
- Two additional incidents occurred at the same care home in Pamplona, Navarra during the month of September of 2017. In the first, the Dechoker was used on a 71-year-old woman with mild dementia. Just two weeks later, the Dechoker was used to save the life of a 90-year-old woman with advanced dementia.
These are just some of the incidents during which the Dechoker was used to successfully stop choking emergencies before they became deadly. All of the above incidents were reviewed by principal investigator, Dr. Randall Snook.
We invite you to learn more about the Dechoker and how it works.
