Recovery Position: First Aid Guide for Unconscious Patients

If you are the only rescuer of an unconscious person and have to leave for whatever reason, put the person in the recovery position in case he or she vomits while you are away.

Instructions

• 1

  Establish that the person is breathing, has a pulse, and is not bleeding severely (see "How to Conduct a Primary Survey of an Injured Person During First Aid").

• 2

  Make every effort to avoid leaving the injured person alone. If you must leave the scene - for example, to find others to assist you - carry out the following steps.

• 3

  Roll the person onto his or her side, being extremely careful not to move the head or neck or to twist the spine in any way.

• 4

  Straighten out the arm that is closer to the ground, as if the person were pointing directly upward.

• 5

  Place the injured person's head on this arm, with the mouth angled downward. This ensures that he or she won't choke on any vomit.

• 6

  Bend the knee of the leg that is further from the ground and place the knee against the ground. This helps to stabilize the person.

• 7

  Return to the scene as soon as possible.