SCANCRIT - Posted on February 7, 2016 - By Kristians Hyldmo
"Transporting unconscious or obtunded victims supine can be dangerous as it may result in mechanical obstruction of the airway or fluid aspiration unless the airway is secured. Traditionally, EMS have used the recovery position with the victim lying on his/her side, maintaining airway patency. The recovery position is less useful in trauma victims as it generates unacceptable spinal movement, contradicting the principles of spinal immobilisation in trauma victims.
The lateral trauma position (LTP) is a variation of the established recovery position. It starts with a modified two-person log-roll with manual cervical spine control. Eventually, the patients will be lying on their sides with blankets and a rigid collar immobilising the cervical spine in a neutral position. The log-roll, too, may generate spinal motion. In this group of patients, this potential harm is offset by the beneficial effects of gaining airway patency and clearance. Several Norwegian EMS have implemented the LTP into their trauma protocols."