In the levels of alertness, what does A indicate?

• A. Alert casualty has open eyes and will talk to you reasonably.
• B. Awake but not talking
• C. Anxious and restless
• D. Unresponsive and unconscious

Answer: (A)

Being alert means the casualty is awake, aware, and responsive. When someone is alert, their eyes are open and they can carry on a conversation with you reasonably well. That indicates they can understand questions, follow directions, and communicate their needs, showing their airway and basic mental function are intact enough for interaction and assessment.

The other states describe lower levels of responsiveness: awake but not talking signals conscious but not engaging verbally, which means they’re not fully alert; anxious and restless points to agitation rather than a calm, responsive state; unresponsive and unconscious means no response at all, which is far from alert and requires immediate life support.

So, the description of an alert casualty—eyes open and able to talk reasonably—best matches what being alert looks like.