Tripod position - wikipedia Tripod position The tripod position may be adopted by people experiencing respiratory distress or who are simply out of breath. The tripod position is a physical stance often assumed by people experiencing respiratory distress ( such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients ) or who are simply out of breath ( such as a person who has just run a sprint ). In tripod position, one sits or stands leaning forward and supporting the upper body with hands on the knees or on another surface. Among medical professionals, a patient adopting the tripod position is considered an indication that the patient may be in respiratory distress. In the setting of chest pain without labored respirations, the tripod position may indicate acute pericarditis. It has been thought that the tripod position optimizes the mechanics of respiration by taking advantage of the accessory muscles of the neck and upper chest to get more air into the lungs. With the position of the arms secure, contraction of the pectoralis results in elevation of the anterior wall of the chest. References Jump up ^ Examination of Musculoskeletal Injuries, by Sandra J. Shultz, Peggy A. Houglum, David H. Perrin Jump up ^ http://medind.nic.in/iae/t09/i2/iaet09i2p83.pdf, Effect of Tripod Position on Objective Parameters of Respiratory Function in Stable Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease ; S.P. Bhatt1, R. Guleria1, T.K. Luqman - Arafath1, A.K. Gupta2, A. Mohan1, S. Nanda1 and J.C. Stoltzfus3 Jump up ^ http://www.free-ed.net/sweethaven/MedTech/Vitals/default.asp?iNum=0401 SweetHaven Publishing Services, Taking Vital Signs Jump up ^ https://meded.ucsd.edu/clinicalimg/thorax_tripod.htm UCSD Catalog of Clinical Images Jump up ^ Examination of Musculoskeletal Injuries, by Sandra J. Shultz, Peggy A. Houglum, David H. Perrin Jump up ^ Respiratory Physiology : a Clinical Approach, by Richard M. Schwartzstein and Michael J. Parker ; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins ( August 12, 2005 ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tripod_position&oldid=805074939 '' Categories : Human positions Symptoms and signs : Respiratory system Talk About Wikipedia Català Português Edit links This page was last edited on 12 October 2017, at 22 : 06. About Wikipedia

Question: for a patient who is short of breath and is experiencing cardiac problems a helpful position may be
Answer: tripod position