Assessing an Unconscious Person: What to Look, Listen, and Feel For

When checking on an unconscious person, it's important to assess the person's condition by looking, listening, and feeling for specific signs:

Look:

- Check the person's overall appearance, positioning, and posture. Notice if there are any obvious signs of injury, trauma, or underlying medical conditions.

Listen:

- Try to listen for any sounds coming from the person's mouth or nose. Check for breathing, snoring, gurgling, or other abnormal sounds.

Feel:

- Gently shake the person's shoulders and call out their name to see if they respond. If there's no response, check for signs of circulation, such as a pulse on the neck or wrist.

Specific Things to Look, Listen, and Feel For:

- Look for:

- Open or closed eyes

- Pupils (constricted, dilated, or unequal in size)

- Skin color (pale, flushed, or cyanotic)

- Signs of injury or bleeding

- Deformities or abnormal positions

- Listen for:

- Normal breathing or abnormal sounds (stridor, wheezing, gasping, agonal respirations)

- Snoring or gurgling sounds

- Coughing or choking sounds

- Feel for:

- A carotid pulse on the neck or a radial pulse on the wrist

- Any signs of movement or responsiveness

- If the person is breathing, feel for the expansion of their chest or abdomen during each breath

It's important to remember that these assessments are initial steps in evaluating an unconscious person. If the person remains unconscious or shows any signs of distress, emergency medical assistance should be sought immediately.