Recovery Position

The recovery position is a first aid technique that makes sure your airway stays open if you’re unconscious. It’s also known as the rescue position.

When you’re awake, you have a cough reflex. That reflex keeps things that don’t belong out of your lungs. It’s why you start coughing if you inhale dust or if something you eat or drink goes down the wrong way.

But when you’re unconscious, you don’t have a cough reflex. That means you’re at risk for serious or life-threatening problems like choking or aspiration. Blood, vomit or even the mucus your respiratory system makes can all cause those problems.

The recovery position is for medical emergencies. If someone is unexpectedly unconscious or for unknown reasons, don’t hesitate to get help. Call 911 or your local emergency services number as quickly as possible.

When should I use the recovery position?

The recovery position is for someone who’s unconscious, but they’re still breathing well and have a pulse. Emergency first aid on someone who’s passed out starts with checking their ABCs: Airway, breathing and circulation.

You check them in that order for a reason. Having a clear airway means you can breathe, and your body can get oxygen for your blood to circulate. If someone’s airway is clear, you want to keep it that way.

That’s where the recovery position comes in. Putting someone in this position lets fluids like mucus, blood or vomit run out of their mouth. That ensures they can keep breathing until they either wake up or get medical care. The recovery position also keeps them from lying fully on their chest, which can make it harder to breathe.

How to check airway, breathing and circulation

To check someone’s airway and breathing, do the following:

• Shout at them loudly and ask them if they’re conscious
• If they don’t respond, pinch their trapezius muscle (the muscle that runs between their shoulder and neck)

If you get any reaction to those efforts, they’re responsive, which means they’re likely conscious, breathing and their heart is beating. If they’re breathing and have a pulse, you can put them in the recovery position.

If they don’t respond, feel for breathing with the back of your hand in front of their mouth. You’ll also need to feel for their pulse on their wrist or neck. Look and listen for normal breathing for no more than 10 seconds. If they aren’t breathing or don’t have a pulse, you need to start CPR immediately.

Examples of events where you’d use the recovery position

Some examples of injuries or illnesses where the recovery position might be necessary include:

• Head injuries like concussions or traumatic brain injuries
• Opioid overdoses
• Seizures
• People who pass out due to syncope from conditions like low blood pressure
• Passing out due to low blood sugar (like with Type 1 diabetes)

What does the recovery position look like?

There are a few forms of the recovery position. The one you use depends on the person’s age and the situation. Once they’re positioned, you also need to keep close tabs on their pulse and breathing. If either stops, you need to move them onto their back and start CPR immediately.

The variants of the recovery position are:

• Recovery position: This is one you use for adults and children over 1 year old.
• HAINES position: The High Arm IN Endangered Spine (HAINES) position is for use when a person might have a neck or back injury. It minimizes stress on their neck and spine. You shouldn’t attempt this technique unless you’ve had proper training.
• Infant recovery position: This is one you use for children under 1 year old.

If you’re helping someone who’s pregnant, they MUST go on their left side. Putting them on their other side can put too much pressure on their vena cava, a major vein inside their body.

Recovery position

The recovery position has a person lying on their side. The position works like so:

• Face and head: Angled down toward the ground, which keeps their tongue from rolling back and blocking the airway.
• Groundward leg: Straight and aligned with their spine
• Skyward leg: Bent to an L-shape and with their knee touching the ground (this pulls their hip slightly forward and keeps their chest partly propped up)
• Skyward arm: Held upward with its hand tucked under their face as a cushion

Their groundward arm is typically lying against the ground in an L-shape. Their hand is about even with their head, and their palm is turned upward. But its position isn’t as important for the standard recovery position.

Infant recovery position

For the infant recovery position, you’ll hold the infant in your arms with their head supported. They should be:

• On their side
• Leaning their face downward
• Tilted so their head is slightly lower than their stomach

While holding them, keep the back of your hand in front of their mouth. That way, you can feel if they’re breathing. (Their breath is easier to feel if the back of your hand is wet.)

How do I put someone in the recovery position?

Starting from flat on their back, you can put someone in the standard recovery position using the following steps:

1. Move the arm closest to you out of the way. You can put it raised in an L-shape, with their hand about even with their head. It should look like how someone holds up their arm to wave.
2. Use your hand that’s closest to their head to take the hand on the far side of their body. You’ll bring that hand up to their face on the side closest to you. Their hand should rest flat against their cheek.
3. Your other hand will lift up the outside of the knee on the far side of their body. You’re moving it so their leg looks like a mountain (like an upside-down V).
4. Once it’s in position, you’ll pull the outside of the raised knee toward you. This should rotate their whole lower body. You’ll rest the knee itself against the ground. They should look like they’re in a running pose.
5. Make sure their face is angled downward toward the ground. Their neck should be extended slightly (moving their chin away from their chest) so their airway is open.

Once they’re in position, you can cover them with a blanket or jacket if you’re worried about them being cold or going into shock. You should also keep constant tabs on their breathing. If they stop breathing, you’ll need to put them on their back and start CPR.