Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhen to Use the Recovery PositionMethodPurposeEffectivenessHow to Help Someone
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
When to Use the Recovery Position
Method
Purpose
Effectiveness
How to Help Someone
The recovery position should be used when a person has decreased consciousness but is breathing normally and does not need chest compressions or CPR.For example, the position may be used in cases of alcohol poisoning, heat stroke, or when a person is unable to maintain an upright position.
This article outlines when the recovery position should be used, how to properly position the person, and when the recovery position should not be used.
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If a person hasdecreased consciousnessbut is breathing and has no other life-threatening conditions, they should be placed in the recovery position while waiting for further medical care. Decreased consciousness ranges from sleepiness (somnolence) to unresponsiveness (coma).
First responders will also place a person in the recovery position if there are multiple people with serious injuries at the scene. The recovery position allows the first responder to leave the side of the person with diminished responsiveness, who does not need CPR, to attend to other people who may need CPR or more urgent, life-saving care.
Conditions in which the recovery position are employed include:
If a person is experiencing cardiac arrest or abnormal breathing, or is in need of chest compressions or CPR, theyshould notbe placed in the recovery position. Instead, chest compressions or an automated external defibrillator (AED) should be employed right away.
How to Put Someone in the Recovery Position
First make sure the scene is safe. If it is, the next step is to call 911 and then check to see if the person is conscious or breathing. At this point, you should also look for other serious injuries such as neck injuries.
If the person is breathing butnot fully consciousand if no other injuries are present, you can place them in the recovery position while you wait for emergency personnel.
If an unconscious person is not breathing, you must clear the airway before putting them into a recovery position.
To put a person in the recovery position:
Who Should Not Be Put in the Recovery Position
The recovery position is widely used in first aid situations, but there are some situations when it is not appropriate. In some cases, moving a person on their side or moving them at all could make their injury worse.
Do not use the recovery position if the person has a head, neck, or spinal cord injury.Additionally, the recovery position should not be used when:
In these cases, the recovery position may do more harm than good. Rather, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (chest compressions), or the application of an automated external defibrillator (AED) are immediately indicated.
What the Recovery Position Is Supposed to Do
Historically, the left-side recovery position was preferred. Recent research, however, suggests that in most cases, it probably doesn’t matter which side you put the person on.
Does It Work?
Unfortunately, there isn’t much evidence that the recovery position works or doesn’t work. This is because research so far has been limited.
What the Science Says
Research has also found that people with a form of heart disease calledcongestive heart failure(CHF) do not tolerate the left-side recovery position well.
Despite the limited evidence, the European Resuscitation Council still recommends placing unconscious persons in the recovery position, though it also notes that life signs should be continuously monitored.
The recovery position is useful in certain situations, sometimes with adjustments based on the circumstance.
Overdose
There’s more to an overdose than the risk of vomit aspiration. A person who swallowed too many pills may still haveundigested capsulesin their stomach. Research suggests that the left-side recovery position may help decrease the absorption of certain drugs. Thus, someone who has overdosed may benefit from being placed in the left-side recovery position until help arrives.
Seizure
Wait until theseizureis over before placing the person in the recovery position. Call 911 if the person injured themselves during the seizure or if they are having trouble breathing afterward.
Also call 911 if this is the first time the person has had a seizure or if the seizure lasts longer than is normal for them. Seizures that last longer than five minutes or multiple seizures that happen in rapid succession are also reasons to seek emergency care.
After CPR
After someonegets CPRand is breathing, your main goals are to make sure the person is still breathing and that nothing is left in the airway if they vomit. That may mean putting them in the recovery position or on their stomach. Make sure to monitor breathing and that you are able to access the airway if you need to clear out objects or vomit.
Summary
The recovery position has been the standard position for unconscious people for many years. However, there isn’t much evidence that it does or doesn’t work. A few studies have found benefits, but others have found that the recovery position may delay the administration of CPR or harm people with congestive heart failure.
The way in which you position a person depends on thesituation. The recovery position may help keep a person from absorbing a substance they’ve overdosed on. It can also be helpful for someone who has just had a seizure. Most importantly, an unconscious person needs emergency care, so call 911 prior to putting them in the recovery position.
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Douma M, Handley A, MacKenzie E, et al.The recovery position for maintenance of adequate ventilation and the prevention of cardiac arrest: A systematic review.Resusc Plus. 2022 Jun;10(1):100236. doi:10.1016/j.resplu.2022.100236Harvard Health Publishing.Emergencies and first aid - recovery position.Bachtiar A, Lorica JD.Recovery positions for unconscious patient with normal breathing: an integrative literature review.Malays J Nurs. 2019;10(3):93-8. doi:10.31674/mjn.2019.v10i03.013Julliand S, Desmarest M, Gonzalez L, et al.Recovery position significantly associated with a reduced admission rate of children with loss of consciousness.Arch Dis Child. 2016;101(6):521-6. doi:10.1136/archdischild-2015-308857Freire-Tellado M, del Pilar Pavón-Prieto M, Fernández-López M, Navarro-Patón R.Does the recovery position threaten cardiac arrest victim’s safety assessment?.Resuscitation. 2016;105:e1. doi:10.1016/j.resuscitation.2016.01.040Varadan VK, Kumar PS, Ramasamy M.Left lateral decubitus position on patients with atrial fibrillation and congestive heart failure. In:Nanosensors, Biosensors, Info-Tech Sensors and 3D Systems.2017;(10167):11-17.Perkins GD, Zideman D, Monsieurs K.ERC Guidelines recommend to continue monitoring the patient placed in the recovery position.Resuscitation. 2016;105:e3. doi:10.1016/j.resuscitation.2016.04.014Borra V, Avau B, De Paepe P, Vandekerckhove P, De Buck E.Is placing a victim in the left lateral decubitus position an effective first aid intervention for acute oral poisoning? A systematic review.Clin Toxicol. 2019;57(7):603-16. doi:10.1080/15563650.2019.1574975Epilepsy Society.The recovery position.Additional ReadingHandley AJ.Should we still be teaching the recovery position?.Resuscitation. 2017;115:A6-7. doi:10.1016/j.resuscitation.2017.03.026
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Douma M, Handley A, MacKenzie E, et al.The recovery position for maintenance of adequate ventilation and the prevention of cardiac arrest: A systematic review.Resusc Plus. 2022 Jun;10(1):100236. doi:10.1016/j.resplu.2022.100236Harvard Health Publishing.Emergencies and first aid - recovery position.Bachtiar A, Lorica JD.Recovery positions for unconscious patient with normal breathing: an integrative literature review.Malays J Nurs. 2019;10(3):93-8. doi:10.31674/mjn.2019.v10i03.013Julliand S, Desmarest M, Gonzalez L, et al.Recovery position significantly associated with a reduced admission rate of children with loss of consciousness.Arch Dis Child. 2016;101(6):521-6. doi:10.1136/archdischild-2015-308857Freire-Tellado M, del Pilar Pavón-Prieto M, Fernández-López M, Navarro-Patón R.Does the recovery position threaten cardiac arrest victim’s safety assessment?.Resuscitation. 2016;105:e1. doi:10.1016/j.resuscitation.2016.01.040Varadan VK, Kumar PS, Ramasamy M.Left lateral decubitus position on patients with atrial fibrillation and congestive heart failure. In:Nanosensors, Biosensors, Info-Tech Sensors and 3D Systems.2017;(10167):11-17.Perkins GD, Zideman D, Monsieurs K.ERC Guidelines recommend to continue monitoring the patient placed in the recovery position.Resuscitation. 2016;105:e3. doi:10.1016/j.resuscitation.2016.04.014Borra V, Avau B, De Paepe P, Vandekerckhove P, De Buck E.Is placing a victim in the left lateral decubitus position an effective first aid intervention for acute oral poisoning? A systematic review.Clin Toxicol. 2019;57(7):603-16. doi:10.1080/15563650.2019.1574975Epilepsy Society.The recovery position.Additional ReadingHandley AJ.Should we still be teaching the recovery position?.Resuscitation. 2017;115:A6-7. doi:10.1016/j.resuscitation.2017.03.026
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Douma M, Handley A, MacKenzie E, et al.The recovery position for maintenance of adequate ventilation and the prevention of cardiac arrest: A systematic review.Resusc Plus. 2022 Jun;10(1):100236. doi:10.1016/j.resplu.2022.100236Harvard Health Publishing.Emergencies and first aid - recovery position.Bachtiar A, Lorica JD.Recovery positions for unconscious patient with normal breathing: an integrative literature review.Malays J Nurs. 2019;10(3):93-8. doi:10.31674/mjn.2019.v10i03.013Julliand S, Desmarest M, Gonzalez L, et al.Recovery position significantly associated with a reduced admission rate of children with loss of consciousness.Arch Dis Child. 2016;101(6):521-6. doi:10.1136/archdischild-2015-308857Freire-Tellado M, del Pilar Pavón-Prieto M, Fernández-López M, Navarro-Patón R.Does the recovery position threaten cardiac arrest victim’s safety assessment?.Resuscitation. 2016;105:e1. doi:10.1016/j.resuscitation.2016.01.040Varadan VK, Kumar PS, Ramasamy M.Left lateral decubitus position on patients with atrial fibrillation and congestive heart failure. In:Nanosensors, Biosensors, Info-Tech Sensors and 3D Systems.2017;(10167):11-17.Perkins GD, Zideman D, Monsieurs K.ERC Guidelines recommend to continue monitoring the patient placed in the recovery position.Resuscitation. 2016;105:e3. doi:10.1016/j.resuscitation.2016.04.014Borra V, Avau B, De Paepe P, Vandekerckhove P, De Buck E.Is placing a victim in the left lateral decubitus position an effective first aid intervention for acute oral poisoning? A systematic review.Clin Toxicol. 2019;57(7):603-16. doi:10.1080/15563650.2019.1574975Epilepsy Society.The recovery position.
Douma M, Handley A, MacKenzie E, et al.The recovery position for maintenance of adequate ventilation and the prevention of cardiac arrest: A systematic review.Resusc Plus. 2022 Jun;10(1):100236. doi:10.1016/j.resplu.2022.100236
Harvard Health Publishing.Emergencies and first aid - recovery position.
Bachtiar A, Lorica JD.Recovery positions for unconscious patient with normal breathing: an integrative literature review.Malays J Nurs. 2019;10(3):93-8. doi:10.31674/mjn.2019.v10i03.013
Julliand S, Desmarest M, Gonzalez L, et al.Recovery position significantly associated with a reduced admission rate of children with loss of consciousness.Arch Dis Child. 2016;101(6):521-6. doi:10.1136/archdischild-2015-308857
Freire-Tellado M, del Pilar Pavón-Prieto M, Fernández-López M, Navarro-Patón R.Does the recovery position threaten cardiac arrest victim’s safety assessment?.Resuscitation. 2016;105:e1. doi:10.1016/j.resuscitation.2016.01.040
Varadan VK, Kumar PS, Ramasamy M.Left lateral decubitus position on patients with atrial fibrillation and congestive heart failure. In:Nanosensors, Biosensors, Info-Tech Sensors and 3D Systems.2017;(10167):11-17.
Perkins GD, Zideman D, Monsieurs K.ERC Guidelines recommend to continue monitoring the patient placed in the recovery position.Resuscitation. 2016;105:e3. doi:10.1016/j.resuscitation.2016.04.014
Borra V, Avau B, De Paepe P, Vandekerckhove P, De Buck E.Is placing a victim in the left lateral decubitus position an effective first aid intervention for acute oral poisoning? A systematic review.Clin Toxicol. 2019;57(7):603-16. doi:10.1080/15563650.2019.1574975
Epilepsy Society.The recovery position.
Handley AJ.Should we still be teaching the recovery position?.Resuscitation. 2017;115:A6-7. doi:10.1016/j.resuscitation.2017.03.026
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