Question

At a restaurant, a customer chokes on a piece of food. You put your arms around the person's waist and use your fists to push up on the person's abdomen, an action called the Heimlich maneuver.$(8.2)$

a. How would this action change the volume of the chest and lungs?

b. Why does it cause the person to expel the food item from the airway?

Short answer

a. In this action volume of the lungs and chest decreases.

b. In this action volume of the lungs decreases and pressure is increase inside the lungs which causes food to expel.

Step-by-step solution

Part (a) step 1: Given Information

We need to find what changes the volume of the chest and lungs.

Part (a) step 2: Simplify

Here, arms around the person's waist and use your fists to push up on the person's abdomen. This action decreases the volume of the lungs and chest.

Part (b) step 1: Given Information

We need to find that why does it cause the person to expel the food item from the airway.

Part (b) step 2: Simplify

In this condition your arms around the person's waist and use your fists to push up on the person's abdomen. The action decreases the volume of the lungs and then increases pressure inside the lungs which causes food to expel.