What does checking vital signs on a victim consist of?

Checking vital signs on a victim is fundamentally about assessing their physiological status, which includes ensuring that the airways are open, determining if they are breathing, and confirming that there is circulation. This triage of airway, breathing, and circulation is critical in emergency situations as it helps to quickly identify the life-threatening conditions that require immediate intervention.

Prioritizing these three aspects—airway, breathing, and circulation—ensures that the most critical functions of the body are being evaluated to ascertain the victim's stability. If a diver’s airways are obstructed, they may not be able to breathe effectively, leading to a lack of oxygen that can result in severe complications. Similarly, without circulation, the body cannot deliver oxygen and nutrients to vital organs. Therefore, assessing these vital signs is crucial for determining the appropriate steps for rescue and medical intervention.

While assessing the diver's mental state, monitoring environmental conditions, and evaluating diving equipment can also be important aspects of a broader rescue scenario, they do not directly constitute checking vital signs, which is specifically centered on the individual's immediate physiological health.