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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 95 0 F pyrexia Above normal temperature pyrogenic

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VITAL SIGNS

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  1. VITAL SIGNS Medical Foundations

  2. Vital Signs (Signs of Life) • Temperature • Pulse • Respirations • Oxygen Concentration • Pupils • Blood Pressure

  3. TEMPERATURE • afebrile • a = without, febrile = fever • hypothermia • Below 950 F • pyrexia • Above normal temperature • pyrogenic • Anything that causes fever

  4. Types of Thermometers • Aural (ear) • Temporal Artery (forehead) • Chemically Treated Paper or Plastic • Electronic/Digital Thermometer

  5. 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.

  6. 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

  7. temple neck apex of the heart Pulse Sites inside elbow groin wrist back of knee top of foot

  8. 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

  9. 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.

  10. 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

  11. 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

  12. 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

  13. 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.

  14. 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

  15. BLOOD PRESSURE

  16. Tips for Taking Blood Pressure

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