CH. 3: Body Positions

Question 1

Fowler position

Answer 1

semi-sitting position with slight elevation of the knees

Question 2

lateral recumbent position

Answer 2

lying on side; right and left precede the term to indicate the patient’s side

Question 3

lithotomy position

Answer 3

lying on back with legs raised and feet in stirrups, hips and knees flexed, and thighs abducted (away from the body) and externally rotated

Question 4

orthopnea position

Answer 4

sitting upright in a chair or in bed supported by pillows behind the back. Sometimes the patient tilts forward, resting on a pillow supported by an overbed table (also called orthopneic position)

Question 5

prone position

Answer 5

lying on abdomen, facing downward; head may be turned to one side; also called ventral recumbent position

Question 6

recumbent position

Answer 6

lying down in any position (also called decubitus position)

Question 7

semiprone position

Answer 7

lying on side between a lateral and prone position with the upper knee drawn up toward the chest and the lower arm drawn behind parallel to the back. “Right” or “left” precedes the term to indicate the patient’s right or left side.

Question 8

supine position

Answer 8

lying on back, facing upward (also called dorsal recumbent position)

Question 9

Trendelenburg position

Answer 9

lying on back with body tilted so that the head is lower than the feet