PATIENT POSITIONING

Question 1

erect position

Answer 1

standing; this position is used for evaluation of gait and neurological testing.

Question 2

sitting position

Answer 2

sitting on the edge of the exam table; this position can be used for a number of examinations including the nervous system, head and neck, lower extremities, chest, upper extremities, and the back.

Question 3

supine position

Answer 3

also called horizontal recumbent, is when the patient is lying flat on the back with arms at the sides; this position can be used to assess the chest, breasts, abdomen, heart, and extremities.

Question 4

dorsal-recumbent position

Answer 4

the patient is supine with the legs bent at the knees and feet flat on the exam table and spread about shoulder width; this position can be used to examine the abdomen, genital, and rectal areas.

Question 5

lithotomy position

Answer 5

similar to the dorsal-recumbent, except that the feet are placed in stirrups; this is done for vaginal exams, pap smears, and pelvic exams and procedures.

Question 6

Trendelenburg postion

Answer 6

the patient is positioned with the head lower than the feet; it is used for shock or to delay a precipitous delivery.

Question 7

modified Trendelenburg position

Answer 7

the patient is positioned with their feet elevated 45 degrees and the head remains level with the rest of the body; cardiac output does not improve significantly and it may adversely increase intracranial pressure.

Question 8

Sims’s position

Answer 8

also called the left lateral position and calls for the patient to be on their left side with the left arm behind the body and the right arm in front of the face; the legs are flexed; the right more than the left; this position is used for enemas, suppositories, rectal temperature, and rectal exams.

Question 9

prone position

Answer 9

the patient lies flat on the abdomen with neck turned to one side; arms are down by the side; this position is used to examine the spine, back, and lower extremities.

Question 10

knee-chest position

Answer 10

the patient is positioned on the knees with the head and chest on the table and the buttocks elevated; this position is used for rectal exams and proctologic exams and procedures.

Question 11

“jackknife” position

Answer 11

used for surgical procedures involving the rectal area.

Question 12

Fowler’s position

Answer 12

the patient is sitting at a 90 degree angle with lower extremities elevated; used for examination of the chest, head, and neck.

Question 13

Semi-Fowler’s position

Answer 13

similar to Fowler’s position, but the head is elevated at a 45 degree angle; used for the same procedures in which Fowler’s is used.