Published in the Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine in 2015.

“In this systematic review, we did not identify any studies that investigated the supine position and loss of airway patency in trauma patients. However, we found that the supine position was associated with worse airway patency in patients with reduced levels of consciousness in a variety of settings. We also observed that the lateral position was associated with improved airway patency compared to the supine position. Although concerns other than airway patency may influence how the trauma patient is positioned, our systematic review provides evidence supporting the long-held recommendation to place the unconscious trauma patient in a lateral position“

Is the supine position associated with loss of airway patency in unconscious trauma patients? A systematic review and meta-analysis Hyldmo et al.