Fowler's Position on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
In medicine, Fowler's position is a standard patient position in which the patient is seated in a semi-sitting position (45-60 degrees) and may have knees either bent or straight. Variations in the angle are denoted by high Fowler, indicating an upright position at approximately 90 degrees and semi-Fowler, 30 to 45 degrees; and low Fowler, where the head is slightly elevated." It is an intervention used to promote oxygenation via maximum chest expansion and is implemented during events of respiratory distress. Fowler's position facilitates the relaxing of tension of the abdominal muscles, allowing for improved breathing. In immobile patients and infants, the Fowler's position alleviates compression of the chest that occurs due to gravity. Fowler's position increases comfort during eating and other activities, is used in
The Semi-Fowler's position is a position in which a patient, typically in a hospital or nursing home in positioned on their back with the head and trunk raised to between 15 and 45 degrees, although 30 degrees is the most frequently used bed angle. The elevation is less than that of the Fowler's position, and may include the foot of the bed being raised at the knee to bend the legs.The position is useful in promoting lung expansion as gravity pulls the diaphragm downward, allowing for expansion and ventilation. It is also recommended during gastric feeding to reduce the risk of regurgitation and aspiration. During
The high Fowler's position is a position in which a patient, typically in a hospital, is placed when the head of the bed needs to be elevated as high as possible. The upper half of the patient's body is between 60 degrees and 90 degrees in relation to the lower half of their body. The legs of the patient may be straight or bent. This position is also required postoperatively for pneumonectomy patients. This position is known colloquially as "sitting up".
This position is frequently used when feeding a patient (especially one on feeding precautions), for radiology, needing to take a specific type of x-ray at the bedside, (at times) when a breathing treatment is being given to the patient, when the patient is having difficulty breathing, for nasogastric tube insertion, for dependent drainage after abdominal surgery, grooming, etc.
Diagram
High-Fowler's position
Bed Preparation Techniques
Human positions {{treatment-stub
In medicine, Fowler's position is a standard patient position in which the patient is seated in a semi-sitting position (45-60 degrees) and may have knees either bent or straight. Variations in the angle are denoted by high Fowler, indicating an upright position at approximately 90 degrees and semi-Fowler, 30 to 45 degrees; and low Fowler, where the head is slightly elevated." It is an intervention used to promote oxygenation via maximum chest expansion and is implemented during events of respiratory distress. Fowler's position facilitates the relaxing of tension of the abdominal muscles, allowing for improved breathing. In immobile patients and infants, the Fowler's position alleviates compression of the chest that occurs due to gravity. Fowler's position increases comfort during eating and other activities, is used in postpartum
The postpartum (or postnatal) period begins after childbirth and is typically considered to end within 6 weeks as the mother's body, including hormone levels and uterus size, returns to a non-pregnant state. The terms puerperium, puerperal pe ...
women to improve uterine drainage, and in infants when signs of respiratory distress are present. Fowler's position is also used when oral or nasal gastric feeding tubes have been implemented as it minimizes the risk of aspiration. Peristalsis and swallowing are aided by the effect of gravitational pull.
It is named for George Ryerson Fowler
George Ryerson Fowler, M. D. (December 25, 1848 – February 6, 1906), was a surgeon from Brooklyn, New York. He is known for describing Fowler's position, and also for the first thoracoplasty.
Biography
George Ryerson Fowler was born in Brookly ...
, who saw it as a way to decrease the mortality of peritonitis: Accumulation of purulent material under the diaphragm led to rapid systemic sepsis
Sepsis, formerly known as septicemia (septicaemia in British English) or blood poisoning, is a life-threatening condition that arises when the body's response to infection causes injury to its own tissues and organs. This initial stage is follo ...
and septic shock
Septic shock is a potentially fatal medical condition that occurs when sepsis, which is organ injury or damage in response to infection, leads to dangerously low blood pressure and abnormalities in cellular metabolism. The Third International Con ...
, whereas pelvic abscesses could be drained through the rectum.
Semi-Fowler's position
The Semi-Fowler's position is a position in which a patient, typically in a hospital or nursing home in positioned on their back with the head and trunk raised to between 15 and 45 degrees, although 30 degrees is the most frequently used bed angle. The elevation is less than that of the Fowler's position, and may include the foot of the bed being raised at the knee to bend the legs.The position is useful in promoting lung expansion as gravity pulls the diaphragm downward, allowing for expansion and ventilation. It is also recommended during gastric feeding to reduce the risk of regurgitation and aspiration. During childbirth
Childbirth, also known as labour and delivery, is the ending of pregnancy where one or more babies exits the internal environment of the mother via vaginal delivery or caesarean section. In 2019, there were about 140.11 million births globall ...
, the semi-Fowler's position is preferred over the full-Fowler's as it is generally more comfortable for the mother, and reduces the need for analgesic
An analgesic drug, also called simply an analgesic (American English), analgaesic (British English), pain reliever, or painkiller, is any member of the group of drugs used to achieve relief from pain (that is, analgesia or pain management). It ...
s and surgical interventions such as operative vaginal delivery or cesarean sections
Caesarean section, also known as C-section or caesarean delivery, is the surgical procedure by which one or more babies are delivered through an incision in the mother's abdomen, often performed because vaginal delivery would put the baby or ...
. The semi-Fowler's position is also indicated when assessing the jugular vein
The jugular veins are veins that take deoxygenated blood from the head back to the heart via the superior vena cava. The internal jugular vein descends next to the internal carotid artery and continues posteriorly to the sternocleidomastoid ...
s.
High Fowler's position
The high Fowler's position is a position in which a patient, typically in a hospital, is placed when the head of the bed needs to be elevated as high as possible. The upper half of the patient's body is between 60 degrees and 90 degrees in relation to the lower half of their body. The legs of the patient may be straight or bent. This position is also required postoperatively for pneumonectomy patients. This position is known colloquially as "sitting up".
This position is frequently used when feeding a patient (especially one on feeding precautions), for radiology, needing to take a specific type of x-ray at the bedside, (at times) when a breathing treatment is being given to the patient, when the patient is having difficulty breathing, for nasogastric tube insertion, for dependent drainage after abdominal surgery, grooming, etc.
See also
*Lithotomy position
The lithotomy position is a common position for surgical procedures and medical examinations involving the pelvis and lower abdomen, as well as a common position for childbirth in Western nations. The lithotomy position involves the positioning of ...
* Trendelenburg position
In the Trendelenburg position, the body is lain supine, or flat on the back on a 15–30 degree incline with the feet elevated above the head. The reverse Trendelenburg position, similarly, places the body supine on an incline but with the head ...
References
External links
Diagram
High-Fowler's position
Bed Preparation Techniques
Human positions {{treatment-stub