Comfort Position-Types, Uses & Key Points

• A comfort position is lying down patient on the bed and making yourself comfortable.
• A comfort position is placing the patient in good body alignment for the purpose of promotive, curative, preventive, and rehabilitative aspects of health.
• Comfort position is maintaining a patient good posture, in which body function can work properly.
• Positions are providing according to patient disease condition.

Purpose of Comfort Position

• To relieve pressure on the affected part.
• To promote and stimulate the blood circulation.
• To provide the comfort or wellbeing to the patient.
• To maintain proper body alignment.
• To maintain normal physiological function of body.
• To perform medical and surgical treatment setterly.
• To carry out nursing treatment easily.
• To prevent the immobility causing complications.
• To perform the physical examination.
• To prevent the bedsores.

Principles of Positioning

• Maintain the good body mechanism and alignment.
• Maintain the patient safety.
• Follow the specific physician order.
• Ensure the patient comfort.
• Follow safety measures to prevent injury or accidents.
• Prevention of deformities.

1. Supine Position

• Also known horizontal recumbent and back lying position.
• In supine position, client lies flat on back, a pillow under head.

Uses of Supine Position

• General head to toe physical examination
• To assess the vital sign
• Provide comfort of the patient
• Abdominal examination and surgery
• Extremities and head surgery

2. Prone Position

• The patient lies on the abdomen with thread turned to one side.

Uses of Prone Position

• Renal Biopsy
• Assess the hip joint
• Muscle skeletal examination
• Prevent aspiration of saliva, mucus, and blood
• Relieve pressure from a pressure sore on the back
• To relieve abdominal distention
• Assess the posterior thorax
• After cleft palate surgery

Contraindications of Prone Position

• Respiratory distress
• Any abdominal surgery
• In catheterization condition
• After colostomy

3. Dorsal recumbent position

• Patient lies on the back with full flexed of knee.

Uses of Dorsal recumbent position

• For abdominal examination
• For female catheterization
• For perineal care
• Also used for vaginal operation and examination

4. Trendelenburg Position

• Patient place in supine position, Bed is modified to a head-down tilt of 30-45’ degree, its means head is lower than pelvis.

Uses of Trendelenburg Position

• To prevent post-partum hemorrhage (PPH)
• To prevent postural drainage
• Use in patient with deep vein thrombosis
• Pelvic organ examination and surgery
• In case of lord prolapse
• Spinal anaesthesia
• In case of CSF leakage
• Use for laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Contraindication of Trendelenburg Position

• Increase ICP
• Breathing problem
• After cataract surgery
• Increase IOP
• Hypervolemic condition

5. Reverse Trendelenburg position

• Patient place in supine position, bed is modified to a head is higher than the feet

Uses of Reverse Trendelenburg position

• In the head and neck procedure.
• In gastro oesophageal reflex disease

6. knee-chest position

• Knee chest position also called pestoral position, it is a alternative position of the prone position.
• Patient rest on the knees and the chest, and head is turned to one side.
• A small pillow place under the chest.

Uses of knee-chest position 

• For the examination of rectum
• For sigmoidoscopy
• In case of load prolapse
• Retroversion of the uterus

7. Lateral / side-lying position

• The patient lies on his side, with body weight pressure on his hips and shoulder.
• Two positions- Right Lateral Position, Left Lateral Position
• Right lateral Position used for – use after liver biopsy

Uses of Left lateral position 

• Rectal examination
• Forgiving enema
• To insertion of flatus tube
• Insertion of suppository
• For taking rectal temp

uses of General lateral position

• Oval care in unconscious patient
• During vomiting
• Relieve pressure in pressure point
• After the tonsillectomy surgery

8. Lithotomy position

• The patient lie on supine position with hips flexed
• The patient legs are separate and thight are flexed
• The patient’s buttocks are little elevated

Uses of Lithotomy position

• For vaginal and pelvic examination
• For rectal examination and bowel or bladder irrigation
• Commonly used for normal delivery
• For genitourinary surgeries
• For hysterectomy

9. Flower’s Position

• A client is sitting position in which patient head is elevated at 45 degree to 60 degree.
• Back rest and pillows are used to maintain fowler position.

Types of fowler position

• High fowler position – Bed head elevated at 90 degrees.
• Fowler position – Bed head end elevated 45 degrees – 60 degrees.
• Semi-fowler position – Bed head end elevated 30 degree

Uses of Fowler Position

• To relieve respiratory distress or dyspnoea
• To improve blood circulation
• Water seal drainage system
• To relieve tension or abdominal
• For ending and reading

10. orthopneic Position

• Patient on bed in high fowler position with rest on both hands on over bed table. (maintain head down on bed table)
• Pillow apply under head

Uses of Orthopneic Position

• Use for COPD patient
• Cardiac patient
• Commonly use in thoracentesis
• Patient on chest drainage tube

11. Jack knife position

• Also known Kraske and Bozeman position, use for the surgical purpose
• Patient lies on bed in prone position, and bed is inverted in “V” shape position
• Bed make the opposite “V” shape position

Uses of Jack Knife Position

• For the rectal and coclyx surgery
• For anorectal procedure and examination

12. Watchers position

• Walchers position is an alternative position of the lithotomy
• Patient lie in a supine position, and both legs are hanging from the edge of the bed

Use of Walchers Position

• To allow contraction to engage the body
• Use in breech presentation
• Use in forceps delivery
• Use to relaxes the perineum muscles
• Used to encourage the pelvis to open a fraction wider

13. Standing Position

• Standing position maintain erect body posture

Uses of Standing Position

• For the physical examination
• Examine of the hernia

14. Tripod Position

• In tripod position, patient leaving forward with their hands on their knee

Uses of Tripod Position

• In severe respiratory distress
• Severe asthmatic attack
• Severe coughing

Position QnA:-

1. Position use, during liver biopsy – Supine
2. Position use, after the liver biopsy – Right lateral position
3. Position use to reading of jugular vein distension – Semi-fowler position
4. Position use during NU tube feeding – High fowler position
5. Position use for pelvic surgery – Trendelenburg
6. Knee chest position also known as – Genupectorial position
7. Position use for ET tube insertion – Rose position
8. Position use for vaginal delivery – Lithotomy position
9. Position suitable for anaphylactic shock – Trendelenburg position
10. To maintain normal breathing pattern is – Fowler position
11. Enema given position is – Sims lateral position
12. Which position helpful to decrease ICP – Fowler position
13. Position use in case of – GERD – Reverse Trendelenburg
14. Common position for COPD patient – Orthopneic position
15. Position use for flatus tube insertion – Left lateral position