Unknown breathing status is associated with which type of caller?

• A. First-party caller
• B. Second-party caller
• C. Third or fourth party caller
• D. Responders on scene

Answer: (C)

Unknown breathing status is more likely to come from someone who isn’t the patient and isn’t directly with them—the third- or fourth-party caller. When the caller is distant from the scene or not the person experiencing the event, they often can’t confirm whether the patient is breathing, so the report comes in as unknown. In contrast, a first-party caller (the patient) or a second-party caller (someone with the patient on scene) can observe and report breathing status more reliably. Responders on scene will observe status firsthand once they arrive, so the initial call is less likely to label breathing as unknown from that source.