HESI Practice Test 2026 – Complete Guide for Exam Preparation

In a respiratory emergency, the first priority is to ensure an open airway so air can actually reach the lungs. If the airway is blocked or not patent, even strong breathing efforts won’t deliver oxygen to the body. So you first secure the airway—clear obstructions, reposition the head, or use appropriate maneuvers to keep the airway open. Once air can move in and out, you assess and support breathing with rescue breaths or oxygen as needed. Only after airway and breathing are stabilized do you turn to circulation, checking for pulse and perfusion and initiating CPR if there’s no circulation. This order keeps oxygen moving to tissues rather than wasting effort on circulation without delivery of oxygen. Starting with breathing or with circulation first could delay opening the airway or providing breaths, which would hinder oxygen delivery and worsen hypoxia.