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A study showed 67% of patients treated by someone checking the tongue first died or suffered severe brain damage, while every patient who received immediate chest compressions survived without serious harm.
By Shula Rosen
An Israeli-led study has found that a dangerous myth about “swallowing the tongue” during cardiac arrest continues to delay life-saving treatment, despite updated CPR guidelines.
The research, conducted by Dr. Dana Viskin of Tel Aviv University and Sourasky Medical Center, was published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology.
The issue gained global attention during Euro 2020, when Danish soccer player Christian Eriksen collapsed on the field. His teammates turned him on his side and attempted to clear his mouth before CPR began.
Although their action was widely praised at the time, Viskin said these outdated steps delayed proper care. “The most critical action in CPR is starting chest compressions as quickly as possible,” she told Ynet. “Don’t check for a pulse. Don’t open the mouth. Don’t look for the tongue.”
The study reviewed 45 athlete collapses between 1990 and 2024. In 84% of cases where responses were visible, bystanders tried to open the victim’s mouth or turn them over to “prevent tongue swallowing.”
Those delays had devastating consequences: 67% of patients treated this way died or suffered severe brain damage, while every patient who received immediate chest compressions survived without serious harm.
Viskin said Eriksen survived “despite, not because of, the initial response,” noting that media coverage has often reinforced misconceptions.
On the day of his collapse, Google searches for “swallowing tongue” spiked worldwide. The study also analyzed reporting on Spain’s Antonio Puerta and U.S. football player Damar Hamlin, finding that nearly half the articles mentioned “swallowing the tongue” and more than three-quarters praised incorrect interventions.
“Focusing on the tongue instead of chest compressions costs lives. Proper CPR saves lives. Delays kill,” added Dr. Nicholas Grubic of the University of Toronto, who co-authored a companion study.
The researchers propose a global awareness campaign titled “Leave My Tongue Alone” to correct misconceptions. “When someone collapses, call for help and start chest compressions immediately. ‘Swallowing the tongue’ is a myth—it doesn’t exist. No one has ever saved a life by trying to pull out a tongue,” Viskin concluded.
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