Choking incident at local restaurant prompts call for awareness, education

By Mary Hay Davis
The Alpine Sun

     ALPINE — A recent incident that occurred at a local Alpine restaurant has brought to light questions about practices within the restaurant industry about responses to patrons in distress.
     Lorna Jeffries, 72, of Boulevard, was having lunch at a local restaurant when a long piece of lettuce became lodged in her throat. She tried to clear it and found she could not. She began gagging on the lettuce (we do not use the term “choking”, because true choking is defined medically as the inability to speak, cough, or breathe, which Jeffries was able to do.)
     Her friend, Betty Pickett, 75, of Campo, was with Jeffries and tried to assist her. After several attempts to clear the lodged piece of food with water failed, Pickett took Jeffries to the restroom to further try getting the food to go up or down.
     By this point Jeffries was very upset and distressed about her situation and, according to her, feared the worst.
“When it ended, I was so relieved to be alive…I’m alive now because of God,” she said.
     The staff of the restaurant went into the restroom on two occasions to check on Jeffries. They also asked patrons if anyone knew the Heimlich maneuver, but apparently no one did. The 15-minute episode was finally resolved in part by Pickett rubbing Jeffries’ back, with the food eventually dislodging.
     Both women have expressed concern that medical assistance was not offered by the restaurant staff. However, in researching this story, The Alpine Sun learned that there is no mandate for restaurant personnel to be trained in, or have to offer, any type of first aid should a patron encounter a medical problem.

The Heimlich Maneuver Adult or child Stand behind the person and wrap your arms around his or her waist. If the person is standing, place one of your feet between his or her legs so you can support the person's body if he or she loses consciousness. Make a fist with one hand. Place the thumb side of your fist against the person's abdomen, just above the navel but well below the breastbone (sternum). Grasp your fist with the other hand. Give a quick upward thrust into the abdomen. This may cause the object to pop out. Use less force for a child. Repeat thrusts until the object pops out or the person loses consciousness. Infant (Younger Than 1 Year) Put the baby face-down on your forearm so the baby's head is lower than his or her chest. Support the baby's head in your palm, against your thigh. Don't cover the baby's mouth or twist his or her neck. To dislodge the object, use the heel of one hand to give up to 4 back blows between the baby's shoulder blades. See Illustration C. If the airway remains blocked, support the infant's head and turn the infant face-up on your thigh with his or her head pointing toward the floor. Place 2 or 3 fingers on the lower part of the baby's breastbone, and give up to 5 upward thrusts. See Illustration D. Look for the object in the infant's mouth. If you can see it, remove it with your finger. Then give 2 rescue breaths. If the back blows and chest thrusts do not dislodge the object, call 911 or other emergency services and begin rescue breathing (see CPR in the topic Dealing With Emergencies). Continue with back blows, chest thrusts, looking for the object, and rescue breaths until the infant coughs up the object and starts breathing on his or her own, or until help arrives. Never second guess the situation — Always call, or have someone else call, 911 in an emergency.

     “First-aid training is not a requirement for servers,” said Ricardo Encarnacion, a supervisory environmental health specialist with the County of San Diego Department of Environmental Health.
     When asked if there was legislation pending to require that, Encarnacion replied, “No. We do however provide a poster to restaurants, with instructions for first aid for choking victims, which the restaurants should post on the premises.”
     Six local restaurants were contacted for this story, and two overwhelming themes emerged from those contacts.
The first was that the majority of servers we spoke with expressed great hesitation in potentially offering first aid to a patron. This was partly due to lack of confidence in their skills, as well as the potential for injuring the patron further.
     The second finding was the apparent fear, among restaurant owners, of possible litigation by a customer that for example, had a rib broken while a restaurant staff was giving the Heimlich maneuver.

     There is always the realm of possibility that new legislation could be introduced requiring restaurant personnel to learn first aid and lend assistance during an emergency.
     Local CPR instructor Carlette Anderson says that was the case in another industry about 10 years ago.
     “Up until that time, there was no law mandating preschool teachers to be trained in CPR,” Anderson said, unlike teachers of older students. “But now preschool teachers are required to be certified [in CPR] as well.”
     While legislation is indeed one possibility, it would be an additional expense to an industry that already operates on a thin margin. Requirements for all restaurant workers to be trained in first aid would undoubtedly be an economic burden, and would certainly drive up the cost of business for these businesses.
     One solution therefore is for the community at large to become proactive and to learn first aid. While laypersons might also fear litigation, the California Health and Safety Code section 1799.102 exempts from civil liability, those citizens who come to the aid of others during a medical emergency.

     “1799.102: No person who in good faith, and not for compensation, renders emergency care at the scene of an emergency shall be liable for any civil damages resulting from any act or omission.”
     Eight years ago, Alpine made national history when it was designated as America’s first Community Wildlife Habitat. Residents, businesses, and schools worked cooperatively to create enough parcels in Alpine featuring bird and butterfly sanctuaries to qualify the entire town as a community habitat.
     Wouldn’t it be wonderful if something similar could be done to make Alpine America’s first Community Lifesaving Habitat? As area residents, it is imperative that we take it upon ourselves to get training and learn CPR and first aid. We cannot rely solely on first responders, teachers, and other professionals to be immediately available to save the lives of those we love. The responsibility rests squarely on our shoulders.
     Both CPR and the Heimlich maneuver are part of the eighth grade curriculum at our local middle school. Surely the adults of our town can rise to the challenge and become as proficient in lifesaving skills as their 13-year-old counterparts.
     Locally, “Save-A-Heart: The CPR Pros” offers first-aid classes, both in person and online. Coursework includes both CPR and the Heimlich maneuver. Save-A-Heart can be reached at 445-5490, or visit their web site at www.cprpros.com.
     So pick up the phone and make that call today. The life you end up saving may be that of someone you love… someone you want around to love and cherish for many more years to come.

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