in a semirecumbent position25,26. The first RCT to test
this hypothesis compared a group of patients who were
completely supine with a group of patients whose heads
were elevated to 45 degrees and found a significant
reduction in rates of VAP27. A second RCT also targeted
head elevation of 45 degrees in the intervention group
and compared these patients to usual practice28. The
most significant finding in this study was the difficulty
in achieving a constant mean head of the bed elevation
in the intervention group of close to 30 degrees. In
addition, there was not an associated reduction of
the rate of VAP among semi-recumbent positioned
patients when compared to supine positioned patients
(10 degrees). In summary, while it is clear that supine
positioning should be avoided in intubated patients, the
exact degree the head should be elevated remains to
be resolved. Clinical practice guidelines recommend
keeping the head elevated above 30 degrees in order to
prevent aspiration.