EC Chp 13 Vital Signs and Monitoring devices Flashcards
Vital signs
Outward signs of what is going on inside the body including respiration; pulse, skin color, temp, and condition
Pulse
Rhythmic beats felt as the heart pumps blood through the arteries
Pulse rate
The number pulse beats per minute
Tachycardia
A rapid pulse; any pulse rate bore 100 beats per minute
Bradycardia
Slow pulse; any pulse rate below 60 beats per minute
Pulse quality
The rhythm regular or irregular and force strong or weak of pulse
Normal pulse rates for: Adult Adolescent School age Preschooler Toddler Infant 6-12months Infant 0-5 months
Adult 60-100 Adolescent 60-105 School age 70-110 Preschooler 80-120 Toddler 80-130 Infant 6-12: 80-140 Infant 0-5: 90-140 New born 120-160
When should you use the brachial pulse
For an infant who is one year or younger
A situation when you are not able to feel a pulse but the patient is awak and talking to you?
When they have a ventricular assist device; a pump implanted in the chest that helps the heart move blood through the circulatory system.
Respiratory rate
of breaths taken in one minute
Normal Respiratory rates for: Adult Adolescent School Age PreSchool Toddler Infant
Adult 12-20 Adolescent 12-20 School Age 15-30 Preschooler 20-30 Toddler 20-30 Infant 25-40 Newborn 30-50
Respiratory Quality
The normal or abnormal character of breathing
The 4 categories of respiratory quality are?
- Normal
- Shallow = only slight moment of the chest or abdomen
- Labored = increase in the work of breathing
- Noisy = obstructed breathing
Shallow Breathing
Slight movement of chest or abdomen but especially serious in unconscious people
Labored breathing can be recognized by?
Hard to move air in and out
Nasal flaring
Retractions of the clavicles
Sounds such as strider, grunting or gasping
Noisy breathing entails?
Obstructed breathing
Sounds are: Snoring, wheezing, gurgling and crowing
Respiratory Rhythm
The regular or irregular spacing of breaths
Best places to assess the skin color in adults are?
Nail beds
The inside of the cheek
Inside of lower eyelids
(Patients with dark skin, you can check the lips and nail beds