which of the following should you do when checking for responsiveness in an adult?
When checking an adult for responsiveness, you should use the shout-tap- shout method and do it quickly and safely.
Correct basic steps
- Make sure the scene is safe for you and the victim (no traffic, fire, etc.).
- Approach the person, stand or kneel by their shoulders, and look for normal breathing and movement as you get close.
- Loudly shout something like, “Are you OK? Can you hear me?” while looking at their face and chest.
- If there is no response, gently tap or firmly shake their shoulder (not the head or neck) while repeating your question.
- Shout again for help (“Somebody call emergency services and get an AED!”) if they still do not respond.
A simple example: You find an adult lying on the ground, you look around for danger, go to their side, shout “Hey, are you OK?”, tap their shoulder if they don’t respond, shout again and call emergency services if there is still no response.
Mini FAQ style points
- Do you check with pain (like a sternal rub) first?
- For lay rescuers, no; use shout-tap-shout, not painful stimuli, which are more for trained providers in clinical settings.
- How long should this take?
- Just a few seconds before you move on to calling emergency services and starting CPR if they are not breathing normally.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.
