What it means
Named after George Ryerson Fowler, an American surgeon. It is lower than Fowler positionFOW-ler puh-ZISH-unA sitting-up position in bed, with the head of the bed raised between 45 and 90 degrees.Full entry (about 45 to 60 degrees) and high Fowler positionHY FOW-ler puh-ZISH-unA sitting position in bed with the head of the bed raised to about 60 to 90 degrees.Full entry (about 60 to 90 degrees). It eases breathing, helps prevent aspiration during and after tube feedings, is used for clients on ventilators and is often ordered for raised pressure in the skull. Sources give slightly different angles.
For the nurse
For a client receiving tube feedings or on a ventilator, keep the head of the bed at 30 degrees or higher unless the provider orders otherwise. Check the heels and sacrum for pressure, since clients tend to slide down the bed.
At a glance
| Also written | semi-Fowler, semi Fowler, semi-Fowler's, semi-Fowler's position, semi-Fowlers |
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Related terms
aspiration
Breathing food, liquid, saliva or stomach contents into the airway and lungs; also, drawing fluid out with suction or a needle.
Fowler position
A sitting-up position in bed, with the head of the bed raised between 45 and 90 degrees.
ventilator-associated pneumonia
A lung infection that starts 48 hours or more after a client has been put on a breathing machine through a tube.
head of the bed
The top end of a hospital bed, where the client's head rests; orders often say how many degrees to raise it.
high Fowler position
A sitting position in bed with the head of the bed raised to about 60 to 90 degrees.