Download VITAL SIGNS - Marisa Bush

VITAL SIGNS
• Vital signs show an individual is alive.
They include heart beat, breathing rate,
temperature, and blood pressure.
• These signs may be watched, measured,
and monitored to check an individual's
level of physical functioning.
• Normal vital signs change with age, sex,
weight, exercise tolerance, and condition.
Medical Abbreviation
• Vital Signs – VS
• VITAL SIGNS ARE
VITAL!!!!
TEMPERATURE
• “The balance
between heat lost
and heat produced
by the body”
Continued…….
• Heat is lost through perspiration,
respiration, and excretion (urine and
feces).
• Heat is produced by the metabolism
of food, and muscle and gland
activity.
Homeostasis
• HOMEOSTASIS- the ideal health
state in the human body.
• The rates of chemical reactions in the
body are regulated by body
temperature.
NORMAL RANGES
• 97° to 100°
Fahrenheit
• 36.1° to 37.8°
Celsius
(sometimes called
centigrade)
FACTORS That Increase Body
Temperature
•
•
•
•
•
Illness
Infection
Exercise
Excitement
High temperatures
in the environment
FACTORS that decrease body
temperature
•
•
•
•
•
•
Starvation
Fasting
Sleep
Decreased muscle activity
Mouth breathing
Exposure to cold temperatures in the
environment
Temperature Variations by Body
Site
Oral 98.6°F (37°C)
Range 97.6 - 99.6°F
36.5-37.5°C
Rectal 99.6°F (37.6°C)
Range 98.6-100.6°F
37-38.1°C
Axillary 97.6° F (36.4°C)
Range 96.6-98.6°F
36-37°C
Hypothermia
• A low body temperature below
95°F (35°C)
Hyperthermia
• Occurs when the body
temperature exceeds 104°F
(40°C)
FEVER!
• And elevated body
temperature usually
above 101°F (38.3°C)
PULSE
• Pulse – the pressure
of the blood pushing
against the wall of an
artery as the heart
beats and rests
• The pulse is more
easily felt in arteries
that lie fairly close to
the skin and can be
pressed against a
bone by the fingers.
Pulse Sites
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Temporal – At the side of the forehead
Carotid – At the neck
Brachial – Crease of the elbow
Radial – Above the thumb
Femoral – the upper thigh
Popliteal – Behind the knee
Dorsalis Pedis – Top of the foot arch
Terms to know…..
• Bradycardia – A pulse rate under 60
beats per minute.
• Tachycardia – A pulse rate over 100
beats per minute (except in
children).
• Arrhythmia – An irregular or
abnormal rhythm, usually caused by a
defect in the electrical conduction
pattern of the heart.
Measuring and Recording
Respiration
• Respiration – the process of
taking in oxygen and expelling
carbon dioxide from the lungs
and respiratory tract.
• Respirations can be counted by placing your hand on the upper chest to feel
it rise and fall.
• If you can hear the person breathing, count how many times he breathes in a
minute.
• Listen to hear if the person is breathing deep (slow) or shallow (fast).
• Also write down anything you notice about the person's breathing, such as
being regular or not regular and if there are sounds
Rates of Respiration
• Adults – 14 to 18
breaths per minute
• Children – 16 to 25
breaths per minute
• Infants – 30 to 50
breaths per minute
Character and Rhythm
• Character refers to the depth and
quality of respirations. Words used to
describe character include deep,
shallow, labored, etc.
• Rhythm refers to the regularity of
respirations, or equal spacing between
breaths. It is described as regular or
irregular.
More terms to know….
• Dyspnea – Difficult or labored breathing
• Apnea – Absence of respirations
• Tachypnea – Respiratory rate above 25
resp. per minute.
• Bradypnea – Slow respiratory rate below
10 resp. per minute.
• Orthopnea – Breathing is difficult in
positions other than sitting or standing
…….
• Cheyne-Stokes
Respirations –
Periods of dyspnea
followed by periods of
apnea; frequently
noted in the dying
patient.
• Rales – Bubbling or
noisy sounds caused
by fluids or mucus in
the air passages.
BLOOD PRESSURE
• Blood pressure is a
measurement of
the force applied to
the walls of the
arteries as the
heart pumps blood
through the body.
• The pressure is
determined by
the force and
amount of
blood pumped,
and the size
and flexibility of
the arteries.
Equipment
• Auscultatory method aneroid
sphygmomanometer with stethoscope
Mercury manometer
How the Test is Performed
• Blood pressure is usually measured while
you are seated with your arm resting on a
table.
• Your arm should be slightly bent so that it
is at the same level as your heart.
• The upper arm should be bare, with your
sleeve comfortably rolled up.
• The top number is the systolic blood
pressure reading. It represents the
maximum pressure exerted when the
heart contracts.
• The bottom number is the diastolic
blood pressure reading. It represents
the pressure in the arteries when the
heart is at rest.
• wrap the blood pressure
cuff snugly around your
upper arm, positioning it
so that the lower edge of
the cuff is 1 inch above
the bend of the elbow.
• locate the large artery on
the inside of the elbow by
feeling for the pulse and
will place the head of the
stethoscope over this
artery, below the cuff.
• close the valve on the
rubber inflating bulb
and then will squeeze
it rapidly to inflate the
cuff until the dial or
column of mercury
reads 30 mmHg
higher than the usual
systolic pressure.
• Next, the valve is opened
slightly, allowing the pressure to
fall gradually (2 to 3 mmHg per
second). As the pressure falls,
the level on the dial or mercury
tube at which the pulsing is first
heard is recorded. This is the
systolic pressure
• As the air continues
to be let out, the
sounds will disappear.
The point at which the
sound disappears is
recorded. This is the
diastolic pressure (the
lowest amount of
pressure in the
arteries as the heart
rests).
Blood Pressure Readings
• NORMAL ADULT
120/80 mm HG
• Blood pressure
readings are
measured in
millimeters of mercury
(mmHg) and usually
given as 2 numbers.
For example, 110
over 70 (written as
110/70).
Words to know
• Hypotension-low blood pressure when
values are less than 100 mm HG systolic
and 70 mm HG diastolic
• Hypertension-high blood pressure when
values are greater than 140 mm HG
systolic and 90 mm HG diastolic
Blood pressure readings may be affected by many
different conditions, including:
•
•
•
•
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Cardiovascular disorders
Neurological conditions
Kidney and urological disorders
Pre-eclampsia in pregnant women
Psychological factors such as stress, anger,
or fear
• Various medications
• "White coat hypertension" may occur if the
medical visit itself produces extreme anxiety
Medical Abbreviations
•
•
•
•
•
TPR BP
T-temperature
P-pulse
R-respiration
BP-blood pressure
THE END
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