Transcript VITAL SIGNS
VITAL SIGNS Medical Foundations Vital Signs (Signs of Life) • Temperature • Pulse • Respirations • Oxygen Concentration • Pupils • Blood Pressure TEMPERATURE • afebrile ▫ a = without, febrile = fever • hypothermia ▫ Below 950 F • pyrexia ▫ Above normal temperature • pyrogenic ▫ Anything that causes fever Types of Thermometers • • • • Aural (ear) Temporal Artery (forehead) Chemically Treated Paper or Plastic Electronic/Digital Thermometer Sites to Take Body Temperature • Oral: mouth ▫ Simple and most common, convenient, and comfortable site. Ranges from 97.60 to 99.60 • Rectal: above the anus ▫ Used on young patients or those who mouth breathe. Most accurate. Ranges from 98.60 to 100.60 • Aural: ear canal ▫ Accurate, easy to use. Normal is 98.60 • Axillary: armpit ▫ Least accurate. Normal range is 96.60 to 98.60 Use this site if the first three are not available. PULSE • Definition = pressure of the blood on the walls of arteries as the heart contracts and relaxes • Throbbing pattern; indicates how well the blood is circulating around the body • Measured in beats per minute (bpm) • Count for 15 seconds and multiply by 4 = 60 seconds • Count for 30 seconds and multiply by 2 = 60 seconds temple neck apex of the heart inside elbow groin wrist back of knee top of foot PULSE CHARACTERISTICS • Rate: number of beats per minute ▫ Normal 60-100 beats per minute ▫ Over 100 = tachycardia ▫ Under 60 = bradycardia • Rhythm: regularity of beats ▫ steady or uneven? ▫ irregular pulse = arrhythmia • Volume: strength of pulse ▫ bounding = forceful ▫ thready = weak RESPIRATIONS • Taking oxygen (O2) into the body ▫ Inhale, inspiration, breathing in • Expelling carbon dioxide (CO2) out of the body ▫ Exhale, expiration, breathing out • 1 breath in + 1 breath out = 1 respiration • Watch the chest rise and fall. • *Do not let the patient know that you are measuring his/her respiratory rate or they may not breathe normally. RESPIRATORY CHARACTERISTICS • Rate = number per minute ▫ Normal is 12-20 per minute • Rhythm = regularity of breathing • Quality = amount of air exchanged and effort it takes to breathe RESPIRATORY CHARACTERISTICS • Dyspnea ▫ shortness of breath, difficulty breathing • Tachypnea ▫ abnormally fast breathing • Apnea ▫ no breathing present • Cheyne-Stokes ▫ labored breathing followed by apnea • Rales ▫ bubbling or rattling sounds OXYGEN CONCENTRATION • Pulse oximeter = measures oxygen in arteries by passing infrared light through vascular bed ▫ Fingertip, ear lobe, bridge of nose, or toe • Indicator of respiratory and cardiac condition ▫ Normal is 95 – 100% oxygen ▫ Below 90% calls for oxygen treatment PUPILS Pupil size can change from 2 millimeters to 8 millimeters. This means that by changing the size of the pupil, the eye can change the amount of light that enters it by 30 times. P.E.A.R.L. PUPIL SIZE Glaucoma: mid-dilated pupil may be a sign Aneurysm: dilated pupil Brain tumor: problems within the pupil Recreational drug use: dilated or constricted Medications: dilated pupils Head trauma: unequal pupils Cluster headaches: constricted pupil Stroke: changes in the size Syphilis: small, unequal, misshapen pupils that constrict with near focusing but do not react normally to light BLOOD PRESSURE Tips for Taking Blood Pressure