A: Airway and Alertness: You are assessing the patient’s ability to protect them
airway and the airways patency, all while maintaining spinal and cervical
immobilization.
Alertness Assessment
This is assessed using AVPU, A (alert), V (alert to verbal stimuli), P
(alert to pain), U (unresponsive to all stimuli)
Airway Assessment
Can the patient open and protect their airway
Inspect the mouth for anything that could be obstructing the airway
such as the tongue, teeth, foreign objects, blood, vomitus, secretions, edema,
and burns
Auscultate for obstructive airway sounds such as stridor
Palpate for bony deformity that could be obstructing airway
Assess the definitive airway if put in by EMS, make sure it has corrected
placement with no obstructions
Treatment if airway is not patent
Suction
Remove debris
Insert airway adjunct such as nasopharyngeal airway
Prepare to assist MD in inserting definitive airway such as an
endotracheal tube
B: Breathing: You are assessing to see if the patient is breathing adequately and
regularly.
Breathing Assessment
Inspect for spontaneous breathing, symmetrical rise and fall of chest,
depth, pattern, rate of respiration, signs of respiratory difficulty, skin color
(cyanotic or pale), wounds, contusions, abrasions, or deformities
Auscultate for breath sounds and heart sounds
