Question

An adult patient is unresponsive. You have opened their airway and are simultaneously checking for breathing and a pulse. To check for breathing, which actions are appropriate to do?

-Listen for escaping air.
-Open the patient's mouth and look for an object.
-Feel for breathing against your hand on their chest.
-Look to see whether the chest rises and falls.
-Feel for breathing against the side of your cheek.

Answer 1

To check for breathing in an unresponsive adult patient, listen for air, feel for breath against your cheek and chest, look for chest movement, and check the mouth for obstructions. Begin CPR immediately if breathing is absent or not normal.

Step-by-step explanation:

To check for breathing in an unresponsive adult patient after you have opened their airway, you should perform the following actions:

• 
  
• Listen for escaping air from the mouth and nose.
• 
  
• Feel for breathing against your cheek and ear while looking at the chest to see if it rises and falls, which provides a visual confirmation of breathing.
• 
  
• Feel for the movement of air against your hand on their chest.

While checking for breathing, it is also appropriate to open the patient's mouth and look for an object that could be causing an obstruction if you suspect choking.

If you detect no signs of breathing or if breathing is not normal (i.e., only gasping), start CPR immediately if you are trained to do so, or call for emergency assistance.