Okuzeka
Emergency Medicine & First Aid vocabulary · Emergency Assessment (ABC)

Recovery position

Meaning in emergency medicine & first aid, with examples

/rɪˈkʌvəri pəˈzɪʃən/nounCore term

In emergency medicine & first aid, recovery position means: A stable position on the side for an unresponsive person who is breathing normally, which helps keep the airway open and lets fluids drain from the mouth.

In Turkish: koma pozisyonu, derlenme pozisyonu, yan yatış pozisyonu

How it is used

A standard first aid term. You put, place or roll someone into the recovery position. Families may describe it as 'putting him on his side'. The term only applies to a person who is breathing; it is different from the positions used for CPR or a suspected spinal injury.

Example sentences

  1. He's breathing but not responding, so I've put him in the recovery position.

  2. Keep her in the recovery position and tell me if her breathing changes.

Common collocations

  • put someone in the recovery position
  • place in the recovery position
  • roll into the recovery position
  • unconsciousNot awake and not aware of what is happening, so that the person cannot respond normally to voices or touch.
  • airwayThe passage that air travels through from the nose and mouth to the lungs; in emergencies, the question is whether it is open or blocked.
  • responsiveReacting when someone speaks to or touches you, for example by opening your eyes, moving or answering; the opposite is unresponsive.
  • first aidThe help given straight away to someone who is injured or suddenly ill, before a doctor, nurse or ambulance crew arrives and takes over.

More terms: Emergency Assessment (ABC)

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level:

This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.