Vital Signs
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Vital Definition
essential or necessary
What are commonly considered vital signs?
Body Temp., pulse, respirations, blood pressure
What are vital signs for?
Helps doctors diagnose diseases and evaluate how well treatments are working
Temperature
a measure of his or her body heat; regulated by the hypothalamus in the brain
Pyrexia (fever)
caused by the body heating up to try to protect itself
Locations where body temperature can be taken
– Oral – Rectal (more accurate) – Axillary – Tympanic – Temporal arteries (more accurate)
Non-digital thermometers
used for oral, rectal, or axillary temperatures; read by looking at the thermometer’s scale; important to leave the thermometer in place for the prescribed amount of time
Digital thermometers
used for oral, rectal, or axillary temperatures; digital display; probe that is inserted to measure temperature
Disposable oral thermometers
used to reduce the risk of infection; dots on the thermometer change color to show the body temperature
Tympanic Thermometers
measures the temperature on the eardrum; usually battery-operated and have a digital display; Placement is very important to get an accurate reading
Temporal Artery Thermometers
measure the temperature of arteries on either side of the head; can also be used to measure temporal artery temperature
Pulse
pressure of the blood against the wall of an artery as the heart beats
What does a pulse tell you?
how well the cardiovascular system is working
Pulse Locations
Three commonly used pulse locations – Radial pulse (located on the radial artery at the wrist) – Apical pulse (taken by using a stethoscope) – Carotid pulse
Parts of a Stethoscope
– Two earpieces – Rubber or plastic tubing – A brace that connects the tubing to the earpieces – A diaphragm that magnifies the sound – A bell that can detect fainter sounds
Pulse Rate
measured by counting the number of beats in one minute
Bradycardia
a slow pulse rate of less than 60 beats per minute
Tachycardia
a fast pulse rate of over 100 beats per minute
Respiration
the measurement of a patient’s breathing cycle; determines the level of oxygen in the blood
How to measure respiration?
record the number of full breaths taken in one minute; best to count the respiration rate immediately after the pulse
normal adult respiratory rate
12 to 20 breaths per minute
pulse oximeter
measures how well oxygen is being used in the body; applied to the patient’s finger; uses infrared light that passes through the body tissue
normal reading for oxygen in the blood
95 percent to 100 percent
hypoxia
below 85 percent oxygen in blood