Figure 1.

Patient's head and neck position. (A) In the neutral-head position group, the patient's head was on a flat surface, without neck flexion or extension. (B) In the head-lift position group, a folded blanket (7 cm in height) was placed beneath the patient's head. Manual in-line stabilization was achieved with an assistant grasping the mastoid process with the fingertips, cradling the mastoids, and grasping the occiput (side-of-bed assistant). The purpose was to support the head with both hands, maintain the neck in line with the body, and prevent the patient from moving.