Chapter 20 - Vital Signs

Question 1

What are vital signs?

Answer 1

Temperature (TPR), Pulse, Respiration, Blood Pressure (BP)

Question 2

What is key to taking Vital Signs?

Answer 2

Accuracy

Question 3

How long should you wait, if your patients was rushing, in the sun, or anxious?

Answer 3

You should wait at least 15 min before taking their vitals.

Question 4

What is Temperature?

Answer 4

Body Temperature is the balance btwn. heat lost and heat produced by the body.

Question 5

How is Temperature (TPR) measured?

Answer 5

It is measured in Fahrenheit (F) or Celsius (C)

Question 6

Define Metabolism.

Answer 6

the process of chemical & physical change in the body that produces heat

Question 7

Where in the brain is Body TPR controlled?

Answer 7

The hypothalamus.

Question 8

What is the normal range for Body TPR?

Answer 8

97.7” F - 99.5” F.
Average= 98.6”F

Question 9

What can influence body TPR?

Answer 9

Age, Stress and Physical activity, Gender, External Factors

Question 10

How does Age impact TPR?

Answer 10

infants and young adults fluctuate,
aging adults lose insulation (body fat) as they age

Question 11

How does Stress and physical activity impact TPR?

Answer 11

Exercise and emotional stress can increase metabolic rate

Question 12

How does Gender impact TPR?

Answer 12

Hormone secretions cause TPR fluctuations throughout a women’s menstrual cycle

Question 13

What External Factors impact TPR?

Answer 13

Smoking, drinking hot fluids, and chewing gum, and hot weather cause an increase
Cold weather causes a decrease

Question 14

What does a fever do?

Answer 14

Causes a high body TPR, to kill off bacteria or viruses in the body

Question 15

What are the different types of fever?

Answer 15

Continuous Fever, Intermittent Fever, Remittent Fever

Question 16

Define a Continuous Fever.

Answer 16

Only falls slightly in 24 hr period, consistently remains above normal, and fluctuate less than 3 degrees

Question 17

What is an Intermittent Fever?

Answer 17

It comes and goes, going up and down in TPR

Question 18

Define a Remittent Fever?

Answer 18

it fluctuates considerably by more than 3 degrees but doesn’t return to normal

Question 19

What are some symptoms of a fever?

Answer 19

Loss of appetite, Headache, Thirst, Flushed Face, Hot skin, General Malaise (Body weakness or discomfort)

Question 20

What are the TPR sites? Digital, Tympanic, and Temporal

Answer 20

For a digital: placed under the tongue, axillary (A), or in rectal (R)
Tympanic (T): Ear
Temporal Artery (TA): Across the forehead

Question 21

What TPR sites takes the most accurate?

Answer 21

The rectum, because it has the internal TPR of the body