Knowing the options

Moving a casualty is not without risk. Any movement can turn an open airway into a partially or completely obstructed one. It can make a spinal injury worse or cause problems with making internal bleeding or shock more serious. The “recovery position” is generally good at maintaining an open airway but the position of the head is not ideal for potentially spinally injured casualties in whom being on their back with MILS and a gentle jaw thrust is probably preferable. Having options through 2-3 different positions and manoeuvres that you can do is useful in case a particular manoeuvre makes things worse.