recovery position

• The recovery position refers to one of a series of variations

on a lateral recumbent or three-quarters prone position of
the body, in to which an unconscious but breathing
casualty can be placed as part of first aid treatment.
• An unconscious person, in a supine position (on the back)
may not be able to maintain an open airway as a conscious
person would.
•  This can lead to an obstruction of the airway, restricting
the flow of air and preventing gaseous exchange, which
then causes hypoxia, - Hypoxia is a condition in which the
body or a region of the body is deprived of adequate 
oxygen supply at the tissue level.
• Hypoxia may be classified as
either generalized, affecting the whole body,
or local, affecting a region of the body ,which is
life-threatening.
• Thousands of fatalities occur every year in
casualties where the cause of unconsciousness
was not fatal, but where airway obstruction
caused the patient to suffocate.
Recovery position
Avoid the supine position in an unconscious
patient
 purpose
• The recovery position is designed to prevent suffocation
through obstruction of the airway, which can occur in
unconscious supine patients.
• The supine patient is at risk of airway obstruction from two
routes:
• Mechanical obstruction: In this instance, a physical object
obstructs the airway of the patient. In most cases this is the
patient's own tongue, as the unconsciousness leads to a loss
of control and muscle tone, causing the tongue to fall to the
back of the pharynx, creating an obstruction.
• This can be controlled (to an extent) by a trained person
putting patient into the recovery position.
• Fluid obstruction: Fluids, usually vomit, can collect in
the pharynx, effectively causing the person to drown.
• The loss of muscular control which causes the tongue to
block the throat can also lead to the stomach contents
flowing into the throat, called passive regurgitation.
• Fluid which collects in the back of the throat can also
flow down into the lungs. Another complication can be 
stomach acid burning the inner lining of the lungs,
causing aspiration pneumonia.
• Placing a patient in the recovery position gives gravity
assistance to the clearance of physical obstruction of the
airway by the tongue, and also gives a clear route by
which fluid can drain from the airway.
 Step for placing in recovery position
• Remove glasses if necessary
• Kneel down next to them on the floor.
• Follow the next three steps if you find someone lying
on their back. If you find them lying on their side or
their front you may not need all three:
• 1. Place their arm nearest you at a right angle to their
body, with their palm facing upwards.
• 2. Take their other arm and place it across
their chest so the back of their hand is against
their cheek nearest you, and hold it there.
• 3. With your other hand, lift their far knee and pull it up until
their foot is flat on the floor. Now you’re ready to roll them
onto their side. Carefully pull on their bent knee and roll them
towards you. Once you’ve done this, the top arm should be
supporting the head and the bent leg should be on the floor
to stop them from rolling over too far.
• • Next, it is very important that you check that their
airway is open, so they can breathe and any blood or
vomit from their mouth can drain away.
• To do this, tilt their head back, gently tilt their chin
forward and make sure that their airway will stay open
and clear.
• • If you think they could have a spinal injury, you must try
to keep their neck as still as possible. Instead of tilting
their neck, use the jaw thrust technique:
• Place your hands on either side of their face and with
your fingertips gently lift the jaw to open the airway,
avoiding any movement of their neck.
•  Once you’ve put them safely into the recovery
position, call 911 for an ambulance.
•  Remember that until help arrives you must
keep checking that they’re breathing.
• If they stop breathing at any point, call 911
straight away and get ready to give them 
CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation).
Recovery position in action
 If you suspect a spinal injury

•  If you think they could have a spinal injury,

you must try to keep their neck as still as
possible. Instead of tilting their neck, use the
jaw thrust technique:
• Place your hands on either side of their face
and with your fingertips gently lift the jaw to
open the airway, avoiding any movement of
their neck.
If you suspect a spinal injury
•  To roll them onto their side, use the normal
technique but do your best to keep their spine
as straight as you can. If possible, get up to
four helpers, two on each side, to help you
keep their head, upper body and legs in a
straight line at all times as you roll the body
over.
• The same technique can be use to put an infant
or child in the recovery position.
• If needs be you can place a small pillow or
rolled up blanket behind the infant’s back to
keep the infant stable.
• It is better to turn a pregnant woman on her left
side when placing her in the recovery position.
This will increase the amount of blood and
nutrients to the baby.