What is the maximum duration to check for breathing after opening the airway?

The maximum duration to check for breathing after opening the airway is 10 seconds. This timeframe allows a rescuer to adequately assess whether the individual is breathing normally without delaying essential care. In emergency situations, swift decision-making is critical, and a 10-second evaluation strikes a balance between ensuring that the necessary observation is made and moving on to rescue breaths or other interventions if breathing is not detected.

Assessing for breathing generally involves looking for chest rise and fall, listening for breath sounds, and feeling for breath on the rescuer's cheek. This thorough observation usually requires a few seconds, but within the 10-second limit, it is sufficient to distinguish between normal breathing, agonal breaths, or absence of breathing that necessitates further first aid measures like CPR.

Other options suggest either shorter or longer duration than recommended. For example, using 5 or even 2 seconds may not provide enough time for a thorough assessment, potentially leading to missed cues about the person’s breathing status. On the other hand, a 15-second check could prolong the time before initiating necessary lifesaving measures, which could be detrimental in an emergency situation. Therefore, 10 seconds is the established guideline for this critical evaluation phase.