Safety side position is indispensable for many first aid techniques and should be used whenever the person is unconscious but continues to breathe, and does not present any life-threatening problem.
So to put someone in this position:
- Lay the person on their belly up and kneel by their side;
- Remove objects that could hurt the victim, such as glasses, watches, or belts;
- Stretch the arm that is closest to you and fold it, forming a 90º angle, as the picture shows;
- Hold the other arm's hand and run it over the neck, placing it next to the person's face;
- Bend the knee that is further away from you;
- Turn the person to the side of the arm that is resting on the floor;
- Tilt your head slightly back to make breathing easier.
This technique should never be applied to people with suspected serious spinal injuries, such as in car accident victims or high-altitude crashes. See what you should do in these cases.
After placing the person in this position it is important to observe until the arrival of the ambulance. If at this time the victim stops breathing, he should quickly return to the belly and start the cardiac massage, to keep the blood circulating and increase the chances of survival.
When to use this position
The lateral safety position should be used to keep the victim safe until the arrival of medical help and therefore can only be done on people who are unconscious but breathing.
Through this simple technique it is possible to guarantee that the tongue does not fall on the throat obstructing the breathing, as well as to prevent that possible vomits can be swallowed and aspirated to the lung, causing pneumonia or asphyxia.
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