In an unresponsive patient, what are the first three steps to determine the presence of spontaneous respirations?

Determining the presence of spontaneous respirations in an unresponsive patient is a critical step in emergency care. The correct answer involves looking for signs of breathing, listening for breath sounds, and feeling for air movement.

Starting with looking, you should assess the patient’s chest for movement, which indicates that the patient may be breathing on their own. Next, listening is important as it allows you to hear any sounds of breathing or airway obstruction. Finally, feeling for air movement from the patient’s mouth or nose confirms whether the patient is exhaling, which is a clear indicator of spontaneous breathing.

The other options do not effectively address the assessment of respirations. Shaking or shouting may provoke a response but will not provide the necessary information about breathing. Similarly, poking, pinching, or prodding does not serve to directly assess respirations, and reaching or rubbing does not pertain to evaluating breathing status. Thus, the approach of looking, listening, and feeling is the most systematic and effective method in this scenario.