Chapter 13: Vitals Flashcards
When the heart contracts and forces blood into the arteries, the pressure created is known as the:
Systolic Blood Pressure
You are unable to find a radial pulse on a patient from a motor vehicle crash. You should:
attempt to find the carotid pulse.
You respond to a cafeteria to find an unconscious person with gurgling sounds upon exhalation and inhalation. What is the probable cause of the respiratory sounds?
Fluids in the airway
How often should a patient’s vital signs be reassessed during transport to the hospital after the pulse has been restored with CPR and the use of an AED?
Every 5 minutes
Vital signs should be reassessed at least every ________ minutes for a stable patient.
15
Recording and documenting your patient’s first set of vital signs is very important because, when combined with reassessments, it allows you to do _______?
Discover trends and changes in the patient’s condition.
Your patient is in late stages of liver failure and has requested to be transported to the emergency department. You notice his skin is warm and dry with a yellow color. Your radio report to the hospital should state your patient is:
jaundiced
Which of the following best describes the proper placement of the blood pressure cuff?
Covering two-thirds of the upper arm
What are the three ways to take blood pressure?
Palpation, auscultation, and blood pressure monitor
You are attempting to assess the blood pressure of a 35-year-old male at the scene of a multiple vehicle collision. The scene is very noisy and you are unable to clearly hear the patient’s heartbeat. You should:
obtain the blood pressure by palpation.
You are transporting a patient to the hospital from a motor vehicle crash. Your patient’s initial blood pressure was 88/52. You should reassess blood pressure:
Every 5 minutes
Your patient is warm, dry, pink, and denies shortness of breath. Which of the following should the EMT expect to find when evaluating the patient’s oxygen saturation?
98 percent
You have a 38-year-old patient who has fainted. Following your local protocol, you use a pulse oximeter to determine the SpO2. You attach the device to the patient’s finger; it gives you a reading of 91 percent. What does that reading indicate?
Mild hypoxia
Slight movement of the chest during respiration is usually indicative of ____?
Shallow Breathing
Upon assessment of your patient, you notice that he has cool, sweaty skin. This finding is best described as _______?
Vital sign
You respond to a 30-month-old patient who has passed out. Is the patient’s blood pressure important to your treatment? Why?
No, blood pressure is difficult to obtain in children younger than age 3 and has little impact on the patient’s field management.
What category would include a patient with a blood pressure of 134/84 mmHg?
Prehypertension
You respond to a childcare center for a report of an injured 4-year-old. Her pulse is 130 beats per minute. What best describes this finding?
Tachycardia
The first set of vital sign measurements obtained are often referred to as which of the following?
Baseline vital signs
What is pulse
the rhythmic beats felt as the heart pumps blood through the arteries
What are vital signs and what do they include?
outward signs of what is going on inside the body
- respiration
- pulse;
- skin color, temperature, and condition (plus capillary refill in infants and children);
- pupils
- blood pressure.
What is the normal pulse rate for children ages 6-10?
65-120 bpm
What is the normal pulse rate for toddlers aged 1-3?
80-140 bpm
What is the normal heart rate for infants 0-12 months?
90-160 bpm
What is the normal pulse rate for newborns?
100-170 bpm
What is the normal heart rate for preschoolers?
70-120 bpm
What are the characteristics of pulse?
- Presence
- Rate
- Regularity
- Quality
A high pulse in an infant or child is not as great a concern as a low pulse.
True
A low pulse may indicate imminent cardiac arrest.
How do we assess skin?
Color, temperature and condition
What is the pulse quality?
the rhythm (regular or irregular) and force (strong or weak) of the pulse.
What is a thready pulse?
Weak and hard to feel
Excessive pressure on the carotid artery can result in slowing of the heart, especially in older patients.
True
In a situation where a patient is awake and talking to you, but has no pulse. What is the like cause?
The patient may have a ventricular assist device, a pump implanted in the chest that helps the heart move blood through the circulatory system. Because many of these devices propel blood continuously and not in waves the way the heart does, there is no change in the pressure in the arteries. This means there is no pulse and no way to measure blood pressure.
The act of breathing in and out
Respirations
What is the normal respiratory rate for adults and teens 13-18 years old?
12-20
What is the normal respiratory rate for kids 6-12 years old?
18-30
What is the normal respiratory rate for preschoolers (3-5) ?
22-34
What is the normal respiratory rate for toddlers (1-3)?
24-40
What is the normal respiratory rate for infants (0-6months)?
30-60
What is the normal respiratory rate for infants (6-12months)?
24-30
What is the normal respiratory rate for newborns?
30-60 (over 60 is tachypnea)
What is the cause and intervention for Snoring?
Airway blocked/open patient’s airway; prompt transport
What is the cause and intervention for Wheezing?
AAC/assist patient in taking prescribed medications; prompt transport
- Asthma
- Anaphylaxis
- COPD
What is the cause and intervention for Gurgling?
Fluids in airway/suction airway; prompt transport
What is respiratory quality?
- Normal
- Shallow
- Noisy
- Labored (working hard to breath)
What would cause the patient’s skin to be pale?
- Constricted blood vessels
- blood loss
- shock
- hypotension
- emotional distress
What would cause cyanotic skin?
Lack of oxygen in blood cells and tissues resulting from inadequate breathing or heart function
What causes jaundice?
Abnormalities of the liver
