Fowler's position

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In medicine, the Fowler position is a standard patient position. It is used to relax tension of the abdominal muscles, allowing for improved breathing in immobile patients, and to increase comfort during eating and other activities. It is also used in postpartum women to improve uterine drainage. The patient is placed in a semi-upright sitting position (45-60 degrees) and may have knees either bent or straight.

There are several types of Fowlers positions: Low, Semi-, and High Fowler's. High Fowler's position is when the patient's head is raised 80-90 degrees, whereas semi-Fowler's position is when the patient's head is elevated 30-45 degrees.

It is named for George Ryerson Fowler.[1][2]

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  1. ^ synd/3035 at Who Named It?
  2. ^ G. R. Fowler. Diffuse septic peritonitis, with special reference to a new method of treatment, namely, the elevated head and trunk posture, to facilitate drainage into the pelvis, with a report of nine consecutive cases of recovery. The Medical Record, New York, 1900, 57: 617-623, 1029-1931.

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