Final answer:
The patient should be placed in either the lateral recumbent or sitting upright position for epidural anesthesia administration, as these positions help open up the spaces between the vertebrae.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct position for a patient during the administration of epidural anesthesia is typically either the lateral recumbent position or the sitting upright position. The lateral recumbent position involves the patient lying on their side, which can be either left or right, with their knees drawn up towards their chest and their chin tucked down. Alternatively, in the sitting upright position, the patient sits at the edge of the bed or on a chair, leaning forward with their arms resting on a table or their knees to open up the spaces between their vertebrae. Neither the prone (a) nor the supine (b) positions are typically used for this procedure.