What is one of the actions to take for respiratory distress?

• A. Have someone call EMS & get AED
• B. Sit in comfortable position
• C. Take rapid strenuous exertion
• D. Ignore symptoms

Answer: (A)

When someone is in respiratory distress, getting professional help started immediately is crucial because breathing problems can worsen rapidly and may become life-threatening. The fastest way to ensure appropriate care is to have a bystander call EMS right away, so trained responders arrive with monitoring, oxygen, and advanced airway support if needed. Having an AED available on arrival is important because if the situation deteriorates into cardiac arrest, prompt defibrillation greatly increases survival chances.

Sitting up can help some people breathe more easily, but it doesn’t replace the need for urgent medical help. Pushing for rapid exertion would likely worsen breathing problems, and ignoring symptoms is dangerous.