What are the three ways to check respiration?

What are the three ways to check respiration?

• A. Look, feel, listen
• B. See, listen, feel
• C. Look, listen, smell
• D. Look, listen, feel

Answer: (D)

Respiration is checked quickly with three cues: look for chest or belly rise, listen for breath at the nose or mouth, and feel for air on the cheek or near the mouth. Looking reveals chest movement that accompanies breathing. Listening detects breath sounds and helps confirm airflow. Feeling for air gives the tactile confirmation that air is actually moving. Together these three checks let you determine whether a person is breathing and at what depth, quickly. This combination—look, listen, feel—is the standard approach. Using “see” instead of “look” is basically the same action, and “smell” is not used in assessing respiration.

Respiration is checked quickly with three cues: look for chest or belly rise, listen for breath at the nose or mouth, and feel for air on the cheek or near the mouth. Looking reveals chest movement that accompanies breathing. Listening detects breath sounds and helps confirm airflow. Feeling for air gives the tactile confirmation that air is actually moving. Together these three checks let you determine whether a person is breathing and at what depth, quickly. This combination—look, listen, feel—is the standard approach. Using “see” instead of “look” is basically the same action, and “smell” is not used in assessing respiration.