What is the position called that patient sits at the side of the bed with the head resting on the overhead table on top of several pillows?

Appeared in: RRB Nsg. Superintendent-20 July 2019 (Shift-2)

Explanation

The position described is the orthopneic position, a form of the tripod position.
Patients with severe respiratory distress (dyspnea) instinctively assume this position to maximize lung expansion.
Leaning forward over a table fixes the shoulder girdle, allowing accessory muscles of respiration to lift the chest wall more effectively.
This action increases the anteroposterior diameter of the chest, reduces the work of breathing, and provides a sense of relief.

Option B: The Trendelenburg position involves lying supine with the head lower than the feet. This would worsen breathing difficulty for a patient with respiratory distress.
Option C: Fowler's position is a semi-sitting position, but it does not involve the characteristic leaning forward over a supportive surface like an overbed table.
Option D: The lithotomy position involves lying on the back with legs raised and supported in stirrups. It is completely unrelated to respiratory support.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Use the key finding related to Therapeutic Patient Positioning to guide bedside assessment, documentation, and the next nursing action.
Recognizing a patient in the tripod position is a critical nursing assessment finding, as it often signals severe respiratory distress and the need for immediate intervention.
Nurses should facilitate this position for patients with dyspnea by providing an overbed table and pillows, as it is a therapeutic, not just a comfort, measure.
What if the patient is too weak to sit at the side of the bed? The nurse can raise the head of the bed to a high-Fowler's position (90 degrees) and place the overbed table with pillows in front of the patient in bed to achieve a similar effect.

How to Approach the Question

First, break down the description in the question stem into key actions: 'sits at the side of the bed', 'head resting on the overhead table', 'on top of several pillows'.
Visualize this posture. The patient is upright and leaning forward for support.
Evaluate each option against this mental image and your knowledge of medical terminology.
Option A, Tripod position, describes a posture where a person supports their upper body. The specific variation with a table is called the orthopneic position, which falls under the tripod category.
Options B, C, and D describe distinctly different positions (head-down, semi-sitting, and legs-in-stirrups, respectively) that do not match the description.
Therefore, the description in the stem most accurately corresponds to the Tripod position.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Therapeutic Patient Positioning
Stem keywords: patient position, sits at side of bed, head resting, overhead table, pillows
Lead-in keywords: What is the position called

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E6 Nursing Fundamentals Taylor p. 211-213

E6 Nursing Fundamentals Potter Perry 12e Part 4 pp. 202-204, 155-157

Practise the full RRB Nsg. Superintendent-20 July 2019 (Shift-2)

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.