The Recovery Position

If a person is unconscious but is breathing and has no other life-threatening conditions, they should be placed in the recovery position. Note: irregular, gasping or shallow breaths are not normal.

Putting someone in the recovery position helps to keep their airway open and clear. It also helps to ensure that any vomit or fluid does not cause choking.

To put someone in the recovery position, follow these steps:

• With the person lying on their back, kneel on the floor at their side.
• Extend the arm nearest to you at a right angle to their body, with their palm facing upwards and towards the head.
• Take their other arm and fold it so that the back of their hand rests on the cheek closest to you, and hold it in place.
• Use your free hand to bend the person's knee farthest from you into a right angle.
• Carefully roll the person onto their side by pulling on the bent knee.
• Their bent arm should be supporting the head, and their extended arm will stop you rolling them too far.
• Open their airway by gently tilting their head back and lifting their chin, and check that nothing is blocking their airway.
• Stay with the person and monitor their condition until help arrives.