This was a question that we recently received from a School that had sent a Staff Member on to one of our courses:
“We have a parent who has brought in a LifeVac® device to use on their child if they are choking. None of us have heard of them before and *** says it wasn’t mentioned on the training. I am just checking it is not a new thing we are missing and if it is a good idea or not.”
Note: This information is correct as of January 2025. Do your own research as this should not be taken as official advice, it is just as we currently understand the situation.
The LifeVac® (there is another brand available such as the Dechoker® , too) has been around for a couple of years. If people mention it on a course I will discuss it, otherwise it won’t get mentioned.
All First Aid Training Standards are governed by the current Resuscitation Councils Guidelines and we have to adhere to them. Here is their statement on the use:
specifically:
“Our recommendations focus on encouraging the conscious person to cough. If coughing becomes ineffective, give back blows and abdominal thrusts for adults/children, and chest thrusts if they are an infant.
If the person becomes unconscious, CPR should be started without delay. Avoid inserting anything into the mouth in an attempt to remove a foreign body, as it may inadvertently drive it further into the airway.”
and also
“Resuscitation Council UK highlights the need for further research on the safety and clinical effectiveness of suction-based airway clearance devices/anti-choking devices.”
In other words the are currently not recommending them as part of First Aid. That may change, but this is currently what we have to teach. In addition, if you have a read of the Life Vac’s instructions, they themselves only suggest its use after back blows and abdominal thrusts have proven to be ineffective – in other words, they also follow the above Guidelines. Here is what LifeVac® has to say;
LifeVac® is not a first aid device yet and does not claim to be a first aid device. LifeVac® is a legal option to be used in a choking emergency.
You can refer the parent(s) to the above link and explain that your First Aiders have to adhere to these guidelines and have to stay within their training to remain compliant and legal.
One final note. They are not cheap, at about £80. There are cheap Chinese copies out there. They are cheap for a reason. Hopefully what the parents brought in was a genuine one (I have no idea how you tell if it is a clone). Either way I recommend that you return it to the parents with the above justification.
