The Heimlich maneuver is used in situations where a person has a foreign object lodged in the larynx or trachea. It is often called a “café coronary” because it occurs when a person is choking on a piece of food. When using the Heimlich maneuver, compression is applied to the victim’s abdomen just below the diaphragm. This elevates the diaphragm and usually generates enough pressure to push out the foreign object.