What is the best way to position an unconscious patient in order to maintain an open airway when the patient must be left unattended?
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If someone is not moving and does not respond when you call them or gently shake their shoulders, they are unresponsive. 1. Check their breathing by tilting their head back and looking and feeling for breaths. When a person is unresponsive, their muscles relax and their tongue can block their airway so they can no longer breathe. Tilting their head back opens the airway by pulling the tongue
forward. If they are breathing, you will see their chest moving and you may hear their breath or feel it on your cheek. If they are breathing, move on to step two. Find out what to do if they are not breathing.
2. Move them onto their side and tilt their head back. Putting them in this position with their head back helps keep their airway open. It ensures their tongue falls forward and blood and vomit drain out. It is sometimes called the “recovery position”. 3. Call 999 as soon as possible. If you can’t call 999, get someone else to do it. Watch how to help someone who is unresponsive and breathing (1 minute 39 seconds)
Common questions about first aid for someone who is unresponsive and breathingIs the “recovery position” when you move a person on to their side and tilt their head back?If I think they have a back or neck injury, should I still turn them on their side?Should I try talking to someone who is unresponsive and breathing?What do I do if the unresponsive person’s breathing doesn’t seem normal?What should I do if someone is feeling faint?Is the “recovery position” when you move a person on to their side and tilt their head back?Yes, “recovery position” is commonly used to describe how someone who is unresponsive and breathing should be placed so that their airway stays open and they can continue to breathe. Back to questions If I think they have a back or neck injury, should I still turn them on their side?Yes, if you suspect a back or neck injury, you should still move them on to their side so they can keep breathing. Try to keep their spine in a straight line when turning them. If possible, get someone to help you turn them. Back to questions Should I try talking to someone who is unresponsive and breathing?Yes, talk to them and reassure them. Even if they do not respond to you, they may still be able to hear what is going on. Back to questions What do I do if the unresponsive person’s breathing doesn’t seem normal?Sometimes when a person is unresponsive their breathing may become noisy, irregular or gasping. This is usually a sign that their heart and lungs are not working properly and you should treat them as an unresponsive person who is not breathing. Back to questions What should I do if someone is feeling faint?If someone is feeling faint, tell them to lie down on their back and raise their legs. This will improve the blood flow to their brain. Fainting is caused by a temporary reduction in the flow of blood to the brain and can result in them becoming unresponsive for a short time. A person who has fainted should quickly become responsive again. If they don't, treat them as an unresponsive person. Back to questions Email us if you have any other questions about first aid for someone who is unresponsive and breathing. More first aid skills:Help communities cope in a crisisIn 2021, we educated over one million children, young people and adults. Your donation will help us reach those who need it most through our free online resources and workshops building live-saving first aid and wellbeing skills. Is this page useful?Yes No Thanks for your feedback SummaryRead the full fact sheet
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From other websitesContent disclaimerContent on this website is provided for information purposes only. Information about a therapy, service, product or treatment does not in any way endorse or support such therapy, service, product or treatment and is not intended to replace advice from your doctor or other registered health professional. The information and materials contained on this website are not intended to constitute a comprehensive guide concerning all aspects of the therapy, product or treatment described on the website. All users are urged to always seek advice from a registered health care professional for diagnosis and answers to their medical questions and to ascertain whether the particular therapy, service, product or treatment described on the website is suitable in their circumstances. The State of Victoria and the Department of Health shall not bear any liability for reliance by any user on the materials contained on this website. What position is used to open the airway in an unconscious patient?The simplest way of ensuring an open airway in an unconscious patient is to use a head-tilt/chin-lift technique, thereby lifting the tongue from the back of the throat. The maneuver is performed by tilting the head backwards in unconscious patients, often by applying pressure to the forehead and the chin.
Why is the recovery position on the left side?Patients should be transported to a hospital as quickly, but as passively, as possible. They should be placed on their left side in the recovery position to prevent aspiration of vomit.
How would you approach management of the airway of an unconscious person?Several simple maneuvers can be used to alleviate an airway obstruction. These include a chin lift, jaw thrust, head tilt, and tongue pull. Some of these simple steps may involve significant movement of the C-spine (see Chapter 15).
What is the first thing you should do when dealing with an unconscious patient?Call or tell someone to call 911 or the local emergency number. Check the person's airway, breathing, and pulse frequently. If necessary, begin CPR. If the person is breathing and lying on their back, and you do not think there is a spinal injury, carefully roll the person toward you onto their side.
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