How should you monitor a conscious patient with burns to the face and chest during transport?

Monitoring a conscious patient with burns to the face and chest requires a focus on airway and breathing due to the significant risks associated with these injuries. Burns to the face can lead to potential airway compromise from swelling, which may obstruct breathing. Additionally, chest burns can affect the patient's ability to breathe effectively, especially if the burns are deep or extensive.

By frequently assessing their airway and breathing, you can detect early signs of respiratory distress or obstruction. This proactive monitoring is critical, as changes in a patient's condition can happen rapidly, particularly with burn injuries. Assessing airway patency, breathing rate, and effort is essential to ensure the patient remains stable throughout transport.

Other options focus on less critical aspects, such as pulse checks or specific timing for vital sign assessments, which may not respond quickly enough to changes in the patient's respiratory status. Therefore, prioritizing the assessment of airway and breathing reflects the most appropriate and immediate concern for a patient with burns to these areas.