How do you check for breathing in an unconscious person?

To check for breathing in an unconscious person effectively, the recommended method involves placing your ear close to the person's mouth while simultaneously watching their chest for movement. This technique allows you to assess both the audible sounds of breathing and the visible signs of chest rise and fall. By using this dual approach, you gain confirmation about the presence of natural breathing, ensuring that your assessment is thorough and reliable.

Other methods mentioned, such as only looking for chest movement or listening for breathing sounds in isolation, do not provide the comprehensive evaluation needed in such a critical situation. Additionally, feeling for a pulse primarily assesses circulatory function rather than respiratory status, making it less relevant for checking breathing. Therefore, observing both the chest and listening for breath sounds is the most effective way to determine if the person is breathing.