Why is the side position is a safe position for unconscious as well as breathing persons?
Show the correct answer
Correct answer
C. Because it prevents any blocking of the respiratory tract and choking.
Explanation
In the photo you can see a woman placed in the recovery position: she is lying on her side, with her upper leg bent and her hand under her cheek. Placing unconscious but breathing people on their side is safe because it prevents blocking of the airway and choking - answer C. Comfort while waiting (A) is not the purpose of this position, and it does not protect against injuries to the cervical spine (B) - if such an injury is suspected, it is used only as a last resort.
In an unconscious person lying on their back the muscles go limp, the tongue falls back and blocks the throat, and the contents of the stomach can flow into the lungs; placing the person on their side makes the tongue fall to the side and lets vomit flow out. The State Emergency Medical Services Act requires you to notify the services about a person in a sudden health emergency, and the Criminal Code punishes failure to give help. After placing the person on their side, you check their breathing every minute and cover them, and if they stop breathing - you turn them onto their back and start CPR.
Legal basis: Art. 4 para. 1 of the State Emergency Medical Services Act; Art. 162 § 1 of the Criminal Code