Which phrase describes a patient who is not breathing at all?

• A. Not breathing at all
• B. UNCERTAIN BREATHING
• C. COMPLETE obstruction
• D. Drowning arrest (out of water)

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is identifying breathing status precisely. When there is no air movement at all, the patient is described as not breathing. That exact phrase leaves no ambiguity and directly signals a need for immediate life-saving action, such as starting CPR if appropriate.

The other options don’t describe the current breathing status as clearly. Saying “uncertain breathing” implies you can’t tell if breaths are present, which isn’t the same as definitively not breathing. Referring to a “complete obstruction” points to the cause of potential breathing failure, not the act of breathing itself. “Drowning arrest (out of water)” describes a scenario or event, not the patient’s instantaneous breathing status.

So the phrase that best describes someone not breathing at all is the one that literally states no breath is present.