Chapter 20 - Vital Signs Flashcards
What are vital signs?
Temperature (TPR), Pulse, Respiration, Blood Pressure (BP)
What is key to taking Vital Signs?
Accuracy
How long should you wait, if your patients was rushing, in the sun, or anxious?
You should wait at least 15 min before taking their vitals.
What is Temperature?
Body Temperature is the balance btwn. heat lost and heat produced by the body.
How is Temperature (TPR) measured?
It is measured in Fahrenheit (F) or Celsius (C)
Define Metabolism.
the process of chemical & physical change in the body that produces heat
Where in the brain is Body TPR controlled?
The hypothalamus.
What is the normal range for Body TPR?
97.7” F - 99.5” F.
Average= 98.6”F
What can influence body TPR?
Age, Stress and Physical activity, Gender, External Factors
How does Age impact TPR?
infants and young adults fluctuate,
aging adults lose insulation (body fat) as they age
How does Stress and physical activity impact TPR?
Exercise and emotional stress can increase metabolic rate
How does Gender impact TPR?
Hormone secretions cause TPR fluctuations throughout a women’s menstrual cycle
What External Factors impact TPR?
Smoking, drinking hot fluids, and chewing gum, and hot weather cause an increase
Cold weather causes a decrease
What does a fever do?
Causes a high body TPR, to kill off bacteria or viruses in the body
What are the different types of fever?
Continuous Fever, Intermittent Fever, Remittent Fever
Define a Continuous Fever.
Only falls slightly in 24 hr period, consistently remains above normal, and fluctuate less than 3 degrees
What is an Intermittent Fever?
It comes and goes, going up and down in TPR
Define a Remittent Fever?
it fluctuates considerably by more than 3 degrees but doesn’t return to normal
What are some symptoms of a fever?
Loss of appetite, Headache, Thirst, Flushed Face, Hot skin, General Malaise (Body weakness or discomfort)
What are the TPR sites? Digital, Tympanic, and Temporal
For a digital: placed under the tongue, axillary (A), or in rectal (R)
Tympanic (T): Ear
Temporal Artery (TA): Across the forehead
What TPR sites takes the most accurate?
The rectum, because it has the internal TPR of the body
