Checking if Someone is Breathing — Core Skill — Learn | AidNow

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SKILL-055 min read

Checking if Someone is Breathing

Is Breathing Normal?

Why this matters

A person who is not breathing needs immediate help — usually CPR and an ambulance. Confusing gasping with normal breathing is a common and dangerous mistake. Quick, correct checking saves time.

Steps

Follow these in order when you need this skill.

Make sure the scene is safe
Check for danger to yourself before approaching. You cannot help if you become a casualty too.
Check if the person responds
Tap both shoulders and ask loudly: "Are you okay?" If they do not respond, they need urgent help.
Open the airway
Gently tilt the head back and lift the chin unless you suspect a serious neck or spine injury. For infants, keep the head in a neutral position.
Look, listen, and feel for breathing
Place your ear near their mouth and nose. Look at the chest for movement. Listen for breath sounds. Feel for air on your cheek. Take no more than 10 seconds.
Decide what you see
Normal breathing is regular and you can clearly feel or hear it. Gasping, snoring, or occasional noisy breaths are NOT normal breathing — treat as not breathing normally.
Call for help and act
If not breathing normally: call emergency services (or send someone to call), start CPR if trained, and get an AED if available. If breathing normally but unconscious, place in recovery position and monitor.

Common mistakes

Things that can make the situation worse

Spending more than 10 seconds checking before starting CPR.
Treating gasping as normal breathing — gasping often means cardiac arrest.
Checking breathing without opening the airway first.
Failing to call for help when breathing is absent or abnormal.

Practice

Practice the 10-second breathing check on a willing family member lying on their back. Say out loud what you observe: chest rising, air movement, regular rhythm. Then practice on someone pretending to gasp — recognize that gasping is not normal.

Key takeaways

Open the airway before checking breathing.
Take no more than 10 seconds to check.
Gasping is not normal breathing — start CPR and call for help.
If breathing normally but unconscious, use recovery position and stay with them.

Comprehension questions(2 — optional, no score)

Question 1

How long should you spend checking for breathing before starting CPR?

30 seconds
No more than 10 seconds
2 minutes
Until help arrives

See explanation

Answer: No more than 10 seconds. Current resuscitation guidelines recommend checking for no more than 10 seconds. Delaying CPR reduces the chance of survival.

Question 2

A person is unresponsive and making occasional gasping sounds. What should you do?

Wait — gasping means they are breathing fine
Give them water
Call for help and start CPR
Place them on their stomach

See explanation

Answer: Call for help and start CPR. Gasping is not normal breathing. It often occurs in cardiac arrest and requires immediate CPR and emergency services.

Use this skill when…

Practice this skill for these emergency situations.

Related skills

More skills in Disasters & hazards.

Checking if Someone is Breathing

Why this matters

Steps

Make sure the scene is safe

Check if the person responds

Open the airway

Look, listen, and feel for breathing

Decide what you see

Call for help and act

Common mistakes

Practice

Key takeaways

Use this skill when…

person suddenly collapsed

person not breathing

cardiac arrest adult

unconscious breathing

Related skills

Water Rescue

Cold Water Survival Posture

Ice Rescue Self-Rescue