Heimlich training advised for eateries

Anyone serving food to a member of the public should be trained in the Heimlich manoeuvre, a coroner has urged.

The manoeuvre is an emergency technique used to prevent a person choking when the airway becomes blocked by a piece of food or other object.

West Galway Coroner Ciaran MacLoughlin made the recommendation after hearing how a car-park attendant choked and died while having his lunch in a pub.

Joseph Folan, 64, had gone to the Westside Tavern in Galway city at 2.45pm on February 11 and sat at the bar. He ordered beef stew and a pint of Bulmers.

Bar manager Eileen Grealish served him his food and recalled seeing Mr Folan eating at the bar as a friend of his came in to the Westside Tavern.

When she looked back, Mr Folan was no longer sitting at the bar.

She found him lying on a couch.

When Ms Grealish went to him, she realised immediately that he needed medical attention and she rang for an ambulance.

The ambulance arrived within 12 minutes and brought him to University College Hospital Galway. However, despite efforts to resuscitate him, Mr Folan was pronounced dead.

Pathologist Caroline Brodie told the inquest in Galway that while performing an autopsy she discovered that something had damaged Mr Folan’s windpipe.

A large pieceof food was removed from his airway.

The cause of death was asphyxia due to obstruction of the airway, Dr Brodie said.

Replying to a question from a family member, Dr Brodie said that Mr Folan would not have been in any pain and that death would have been instant.

Dr MacLoughlin noted that Mr Folan did not have teeth and would not have been able to chew his food.

Dr MacLoughlin said that it would have been too late for emergency intervention by the time Mr Folan arrived in the Accident and Emergency department of the hospital, even though it was nearby.

“I think it would be an appropriate recommendation that anybody serving food to a member of the public should be instructed in the use of the Heimlich Manoeuvre in order to dislodge food without delay,” said Dr MacLoughlin.

“Over the years, a number of people have died while eating in similar circumstances.”

Dr MacLoughlin returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence.