As Lithuania prepares for the Midsummer celebrations and the annual barbecue season gets into full swing, emergency medicine specialists are urging people to remember five simple steps that could save someone's life if they are choking.
Mindaugas Kliukas, a specialist with Lithuania's Emergency Medical Service, recalled being called to several incidents involving people choking on shashlik (meat skewers popular in the region).
"It was a typical outing. A group of young people were grilling meat by a lake, drinking beer and enjoying themselves. One young man choked on a piece of shashlik, but the others did not know how to provide first aid.
"They called an ambulance and drove towards the hospital with him. We met them on the way. Sadly, the young man had already been unconscious for some time. Although we managed to remove the piece of meat, we could not revive him. He was not yet 30," Kliukas said.
Another emergency specialist, paramedic Tomas Gurskas, explained why barbecued meat should be eaten carefully and cut into smaller pieces.
