Board of Legal SpecializationPractice Exam

After opening the airway, what should you simultaneously check for?

1. Breathing and pulse

2. Respiration and blood pressure

3. Breathing and skin color

4. Pulse and skin temperature

The correct answer is: Breathing and pulse

After opening the airway, the immediate step is to check for breathing and pulse simultaneously because both are critical to assessing a person's respiratory and circulatory status. Ensuring that the airway is clear is vital, but it is equally important to confirm whether the individual is breathing adequately. The presence of a pulse will indicate whether the heart is still moving blood through the body, which is essential for tissue perfusion and oxygen delivery. Breathing is assessed to see if air is entering the lungs and, therefore, oxygen is being provided to the body. This can involve observing chest rise and fall, listening for breath sounds, and feeling for airflow from the mouth or nose. Checking for a pulse is vital to determine if there is ongoing circulation; without a pulse, the risk of cardiac arrest increases significantly. The other options involve checks that, while important, do not provide the immediate critical information needed as quickly as assessing breathing and pulse. For instance, assessing blood pressure or skin temperature may provide useful information about the patient's overall condition, but these checks do not have the same urgency as evaluating breathing and pulse immediately after establishing an open airway. In emergency situations, the priority should always be placed on ensuring both adequate airway function and circulation.