What term describes a person lying face down?

The term that describes a person lying face down is "prone." This position is commonly used in various medical and emergency care contexts, as it allows for certain assessments and procedures, such as administering CPR or evaluating the back of a patient for injuries. In the prone position, the individual’s chest and abdomen are facing the ground, which can also be beneficial for comfort and certain medical interventions, like breathing exercises or positioning after some surgeries.

Understanding this term is important for EMTs and healthcare providers, as they often need to communicate effectively about a patient’s positioning for assessments, care, or when conveying information to other team members. The other terms listed refer to different positions: "supine" refers to lying on the back, "recumbent" can indicate lying down in any position but is often more specific to a horizontal position, and "ventral" relates to the belly or abdominal side of an organism, not specifically to the lying position of the body.