You are attending to a person who is unresponsive but is breathing normally after a suspected overdose of pain medication. Why have you placed the person in a recovery position?

Placing a person in the recovery position is crucial for maintaining and protecting their airway, especially when they are unresponsive but breathing normally. In this position, the individual is laid on their side, which helps prevent the tongue from blocking the throat and reduces the risk of aspiration if they vomit. This is important in cases of suspected overdoses, as the respiratory drive might be compromised, and maintaining a clear airway is essential for their safety. The recovery position also allows for gravity to assist in keeping the airway open and ensures that fluids can drain out of the mouth rather than entering the lungs.

While observing standard precautions is always important, this is not the primary reason for positioning the person in this manner. Reassuring and comforting the person is significant for emotional support but does not relate to the physical management of their condition in this scenario. Additionally, while a recovery position may inadvertently provide some stability, it is not intended for spinal stabilization and does not take the place of proper immobilization measures if a spinal injury is suspected.