Maneuver for the recovery of a foreign body causing a complete airway obstruction: illustrative case.

This is a case of a 12-month-old child who had an upper respiratory tract foreign body that was completely obstructing the airway. There was no intubation or cricothyroidotomy equipment available. Traditional methods of removal had failed. The child was kept in a prone position, and it was only by mouth-to-mouth and/or nose aspiration, spitting out the secretions, that complete blockade transformed into a partial one. A few minutes after keeping on using this maneuver to maintain an open airway, a soft, light plastic object was recovered. Foreign body removal can be a life-threatening emergency occurring where no trained medical personal or medical equipment is available. This is a simple method that a practitioner or a parent may be able to use as an option in extreme circumstances when traditional methods have failed.