11-10-21 - Vital Signs 1

Question 1

What is the normal range of heart rate for an adult?

Answer 1

• 60 to 100 beats per minute

Question 2

What do the terms bradycardia and tachycardia mean?

Answer 2

• Bradycardia – Abnormally slow resting heart rate, normally less than 60 bpm
• Tachycardia – Abnormally fast resting heart rate, normally more than 100bpm

Question 3

In a normal healthy adult, can you think of 7 causes of a tachycardia?

Answer 3

• Strenuous exercise
• Fever
• Fear
• Stress
• Anxiety
• Medications
• Certain street drugs

Question 4

What is an ectopic heart beat?

Answer 4

• Ectopic heart beats are changes in a heartbeat that is otherwise normal
• These changes lead to extra or skipped heartbeats

Question 5

Why does the correct cuff size matter when measuring blood pressure?

Answer 5

• Using a blood pressure cuff that is too large or too small can give you inaccurate blood pressure readings.
• A small cuff will give a higher blood pressure reading
• A large cuff will give a lower blood pressure reading.

Question 6

Why does the arm need to be supported during blood pressure measurement?

Answer 6

• The arm must also be horizontal at the level of the heart
• If the arm is below the heart level, this leads to an overestimation of systolic and diastolic pressure.
• If the arm is above the heart level, this leads to an underestimation of systolic and diastolic pressures.

Question 7

What is a normal blood pressure?

What is high/low blood pressure called?

Answer 7

• 120/80 mmHg (systolic/diastolic)
• High blood pressure – hypertension
• Low blood pressure – Hypotension
• MmHG – millimetres of mercury

Question 8

Why is accurate measurement of blood pressure important?

Answer 8

• Small inaccuracies can have consequences for the patient
• Underestimating true blood pressure by 5 mmHg could mislabel a patient with hypertension when true hypertension is present
• It is important the patient has a clear idea of hat their risk for heart disease and stroke Is.
• It might give the patient a false sense of security.

Question 9

What are Korotkoff sounds?

How are they heard?

Answer 9

• Korotkoff sounds are generated when a blood pressure cuff changes the flow of flood through the artery
• These sounds are heard through either a stethoscope of a doppler that is placed distal to the blood pressure cuff
• (K1) Phase 1: Thud
• This is the first sound heard as the cuff pressure is released. This sound provides the systolic pressure reading.
• (K2) Phase 2: A swishing/whooshing sound. Or blowing nose
• Swishing sounds as the blood flows through blood vessels increases as the cuff is deflated.
• (K3) Phase 3: Thud (softer than phase 1).
• Intense thumping sounds that are softer than phase 1 as the blood flows through the artery but the cuff pressure is still inflated to occlude flow during diastole.
• (K4) Phase 4: A softer, blowing, muffled sound that fades.
• Softer and muffled sounds as the cuff pressure is released. The change from the thump of phase 3 to the muffled sound of phase 4 is known as the first diastolic reading.
• (K5) Phase 5: Silence.
• Silence that occurs when the cuff pressure is released enough to allow normal blood flow. This is known as the second diastolic reading.

Question 10

Keywords meanings:
Sphygmomanometer
Stethoscope: bell and diaphragm
Auscultation
Antecubital fossa
Systolic
Diastolic
Pulse Pressure

Answer 10

Keywords
1) sphygmomanometer (sfĭg mow ma naw meter) (blood pressure monitor)
• An instrument used for measuring blood pressure
• Consists of an inflatable rubber cuff which is the applied to the arm and connected to a column of mercury next to a graduated scale
• This allows the measure of systolic and diastolic blood pressure increasing and gradually releasing pressure in the cuff

2) stethoscope: bell and diaphragm
• A medical instrument for listening to the action of someone’s heart or breathing
• The bell is the smaller side of the stethoscope, and is used to detect low frequency sounds
• The diaphragm of the stethoscope is the larger side and is used to detect high frequency sounds

3) Auscultation
• The action of listening to the heart, lungs, or other organs, typically with a stethoscope, as part of a medical diagnosis

4) antecubital fossa
• The antecubital fossa is the shallow depression located in the front of the median cubital vein of your arm
• The cubital fossa is often used for venous access in procedures such as injections and obtaining blood samples (phlebotomy)

5) systolic
• Systole is relating to the phase of the heartbeat when the heart muscle contracts and pumps blood from chambers into the arteries

6) diastolic
• Diastole is part of the phase of the heartbeat where the heart relaxes and refills with blood after emptying is done during systole

7) pulse pressure
• Blood pressure is a measure of the force that your heart used to pump blood around your body.