1 / 25

Vital Signs

Vital Signs. Objective : - Students will be able to assess the vital signs - Students will be able to explain what is being assessed when checking the vital signs. What are the Vital Signs. Measurements of the body's most basic functions. Vital to life

elyse
Download Presentation

Vital Signs

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Vital Signs

  2. Objective:- Students will be able to assess the vital signs- Students will be able to explain what is being assessed when checking the vital signs

  3. What are the Vital Signs • Measurements of the body's most basic functions. • Vital to life • If one or more is missing or compromised = medical emergency • Vital signs are useful in detecting or monitoring medical problems

  4. The Vital Signs • Heart Rate (Pulse) • Breathing Rate (Respiration) • Blood Pressure • Temperature

  5. Pulse • Heart Rate • Each “pulse” represent the beat of your heart • The pulse rate may fluctuate and increase with exercise, illness, injury, and emotions • Average resting heart rate • 60 to 100 bpm (beats per minute) • Adults (60-80 bpm) • Child (80-100 bpm) • Lance Armstrong: 32–34 bpm

  6. Body Temperature • The normal body temperature of a person varies depending on gender, recent activity, food and fluid consumption, time of day, and, in women, the stage of the menstrual cycle. • According to the AMA • Normal body temp – 97.8 – 99.1 degrees Fahrenheit (normal is often considered 98.6)

  7. Oral – mouth Aural – ear Axillary – armpit Rectal – rectum *** most accurate – rectal ***Least accurate - Axillary Places to take the Temperature

  8. Problems with body temp. • Fever – above 100 • Hypothermia – below 95

  9. How to check your pulse • Using the first and second fingertips, press firmly but gently on the arteries until you feel a pulse. • Begin counting the pulse when the clock's second hand is on the 12. • Count your pulse for 60 seconds (or for 15 seconds and then multiply by four to calculate beats per minute). • When counting, do not watch the clock continuously, but concentrate on the beats of the pulse.

  10. What are you feeling? • Superficial arteries expanding as blood passes through them • Expulsion of blood from the heart • Pulse Locations

  11. Neck (carotid Pulse)

  12. Wrist (Radial Artery)

  13. “other pulses” • Any “superficial artery” • Popliteal – behind knee • Femoral – groin • DorsiPedis – foot • Brachial – Armpit

  14. Using the heart rate • Max HR 220 minus your age • Multiply that number by .65 = 65% of max • Multiply that number by .85 = 85% of max • 65% - 85% is the training zone • Figure out yours…..

  15. Respiration Rate • Harder to assess than heart rate • Watch the chest rise and fall • 12 to 18 breaths a minute is considered normal • More than 25 and less than 12 breaths a minutes is considered abnormal

  16. Respiratory Distress • Labored breathing or difficulty breathing is a medical emergency • Partial or Complete Airway Obstruction • Contact EMS • CPR

  17. Blood Pressure • The pressure exerted by circulating blood on the walls of blood vessels • Sphygmomanometer – instrument used to assess BP • Normal: • 90/60 mm/Hg to 120/80 mm/Hg

  18. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luppKLO74vg • Systolic pressure is the pressure of the blood flow when the heart beats • First sound heard • Diastolic pressure is the pressure between heartbeats • Last sound is heard

  19. BP measurements • Optimal less than 120 / less than 80 • Normal less than 135 / less than 85 • High 130-139 / 85-89 • Hypertension 140 or higher / 90 or higher • Hypotension <90 / <60 • Low Blood Pressure

  20. High Blood Pressure • Causes the heart to work “harder” • Leaves the heart and the arteries more prone to injury • High Blood Pressure increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, damage to the eyes, kidney failure, atherosclerosis and congestive heart failure.

  21. Causes of High Blood Pressure • Heredity • Race (African Americans are more likely to develop high blood pressure) • Males (men have a greater chance of developing high blood pressure than women until age 55.  However, at over the age of 75, women are more likely to develop high blood pressure than men).  • Sodium sensitivity (salt) • Obesity and overweight • Heavy alcohol consumption • Sedentary lifestyle • Diabetics or individuals with gout or kidney disease • Age (the older people get, the more prone to high blood pressure) • Some medications

  22. Other “vital” signs to check • Pupil response • PEARL (Pupils Equal And Responsive to Light) • constricted pupils – injury to the central nervous system and/or intake of depressant drugs • dilated pupils – head injury, shock, hemorrhage and/of intake of stimulant drug • Level of Consciousness • APVU Scale http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGrahDehZFc • Alert / Pain / Voice / Unresponsive • Sensory Changes • Bilateral comparison

  23. Skin Color • Weakness (Bilateral Comparison)

  24. Normal Vital Signs for Adults(according to Medline Plus) • Blood pressure: 90/60 mm/Hg to 120/80 mm/Hg • Breathing: 12 - 18 breaths per minute • Pulse: 60 - 100 beats per minute • Temperature: 97.8 - 99.1 degrees Fahrenheit / average 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit

More Related