How can you identify whether someone is in respiratory distress?

Identifying respiratory distress involves observing specific signs related to breathing patterns and physical responses. When someone exhibits difficulty in breathing, wheezing, or struggles to speak in short sentences, these are clear indicators that their respiratory system is compromised.

In a state of respiratory distress, the body may not be getting enough oxygen, leading to shallow or labored breathing. The sound of wheezing can indicate constriction of the airways. Additionally, when an individual is unable to talk in complete sentences, this signifies that they are having trouble getting enough air, as speaking requires the ability to breathe adequately between words.

The other options, while they may reflect a person’s general health or condition, do not specifically indicate respiratory distress. For example, profuse sweating or being pale and cold could relate to various medical issues but are not exclusive to problems with breathing. Disorientation, on the other hand, can result from many factors, including low oxygen levels, but is less specific to respiratory distress than the direct observations of breathing difficulty and related symptoms.