Does lying in the recovery position increase the likelihood of not delivering cardiopulmonary resuscitation?. (June 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Freire-Tellado, Miguel; Navarro-Patón, Rubén; Pavón-Prieto, Maria del Pilar; Fernández-López, Marta; Mateos-Lorenzo, Javier; López-Fórneas, Ivan
• Is Part Of: Resuscitation. Volume 115(2017)
• Page Start: 173
• Page End: 177
• Publication Date: 2017-06
• Subjects: Recovery position -- CPR -- Breathing assessment -- Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest -- Head tilt and chin lift; CPR cardiopulmonary resuscitation -- OHCA out-of-hospital cardiac arrest -- BLS basic life support -- HTCL head tilt and chin lift technique -- RP recovery position -- EMS emergency medical services -- ERC European resuscitation guidelines; Resuscitation -- Periodicals; Resuscitation -- Periodicals; Réanimation -- Périodiques; Electronic journals; 616.025
• DOI: 10.1016/j.resuscitation.2017.03.008
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0300-9572

Abstract

Abstract: Background: Resuscitation guidelines endorse unconscious and normally breathing out-of-hospital victims to be placed in the recovery position to secure airway patency, but recently a debate has been opened as to whether the recovery position threatens the cardiac arrest victim's safety assessment and delays the start of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Aim: To compare the assessment of the victim's breathing arrest while placed in the recovery position versus maintaining an open airway with the continuous head tilt and chin lift technique to know whether the recovery position delays the cardiac arrest victim's assessment and the start of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Methods: Basic life support-trained university students were randomly divided into two groups: one received a standardized cardiopulmonary resuscitation refresher course including the recovery position and the other received a modified cardiopulmonary resuscitation course using continuous head tilt and chin lift for unconscious and spontaneously breathing patients. A human simulation test to evaluate the victim's breathing assessment was performed a week later. Result: In total, 59 participants with an average age of 21.9 years were included. Only 14 of 27 (51.85%) students in the recovery position group versus 23 of 28 (82.14%) in the head tilt and chin lift group p = 0.006 (OR 6.571) detected breathing arrest within 2 min. Conclusion: The recovery position hindered breathing assessment, delayed breathing arrest identification and the initiation of cardiac compressions, and significantly increased the likelihood of not starting cardiopulmonary resuscitation when compared to the results shown when the continuous head tilt and chin lift technique was used.