What is the best position to place and re-evaluate an unconscious but normally breathing victim? A randomised controlled human simulation trial on children.

Background: Current resuscitation guidelines endorse placing the unconscious and normally breathing victims in the recovery position (RP), but this technique might hinder breathing evaluation.

Aim: To compare breathing evaluation and cardiac arrest detection: placing the victim in RP and checking breathing regularly, placing the victim in RP while re-evaluating breathing every minute, and placing the victim on his back, maintaining an open airway with the head-tilt-chin-lift technique and continuously checking breathing.

Methods: Schoolchildren aged 10-12 with no previous cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training, from three different primary schools were randomly allocated into groups to receive a CPR course involving one of the three strategies.