Suctioning and Vital signs Flashcards
Why is suctioning needed? How to determine if patient needs to be suctioned?
To maintain a patent airway.
Determine based on:
- patient’s respiratory status (on ventilator usually need suctioning)
- consistency of secretion
- ability to cough (sedation, paralysis etc.)
What are clinical indications for suctioning?
Respiratory distress
- tachycardia
- gasping
- (intubated) decreased SPO2, increased Positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP), increasing FiO2
patients not intubated having coarse breath sounds = encourage to cough (may not require suctioning)
Performing suctioning
GENERAL: Use single-use multiple eyed suction catheter
Tracheostomy suctioning: aseptic technique
Ventilator: Use closed system suction catheter for suctioning
- pre-oxygenate patient before suctioning
- Suction pressure:
adult - 100 to 120mmHg
peads - 60 to 80mmHh - Suction <15seconds (too long = risk hypoxia and trauma)
What are Vital signs to be measured? (5)
Body Temperature (T0)
Pulse Rate (PR)
Respiration Rate (RR)
Blood Pressure (BP)
Oxygen saturation (SpO2)
Normal body temperature in adults, and methods to measure (5)
body temp varies
- normal body temp: 36.5C to 37.2C
Measure:
- orally
- rectally (0.5C HIGHER than oral and tymp
- axillary (0.5 LOWER than oral and tymp)
- skin
- Tympanic (ear) BEST - core temp
What is pyrexia?
elevation of T0 above normal range (can lead to feeling febrile)
Also consist of hyperthermia (>40C)
PR facts
- females 12 and older tend to have ^PR than males
- athletes can have PR 40BPM, no probs
Normal Pulse Rate in adults
(bradycardia) 60 to 100BPM (tachycardia)
What are the 9 common pulse points?
- Temporal artery (head)
- carotid artery (neck)
- apical pulse (chest)
- brachial artery (arm)
- Radial artery (arm)
- femoral artery (thigh)
- popliteal artery (knee)
- posterior tibial artery (ankle)
- pedal (foot)
Normal RR adult at rest
(bradypnea) 12 to 20 breaths per min (tachypnea)
(make sure to check if person has difficulty breathing)
What are the 3 respiratory processes
- ventilation
- Movement O2 and CO2 btwn alveoli and RBC
- Perfusion distribution of RBCs
What is dyspnea?
shortness of breath or difficulty in breathing
what is apnea?
cease respirations for several seconds
Normal BP adult at rest
Systolic: 80 to 120mmHg
Diastolic: 60 to 80mmHg
What is postural/orthostatic hypotension?
normotensive person get LOW BP symptoms (eg. dizzy) when rising to upright position
How does a pulse oximeter work to measure SpO2?
- non invasive
- measure SpO2 (arterial blood O2 saturation)
- lightwaves absorbed diff by O2Hb and deoxy Hb
What is normal range for SpO2, blood oxygen levels?
> 95%
Use of ECG/EKG
- measure heart’s electrical activity
- continuous monitoring for critically ill/ sedated patients
In radiology:
- ECG leads can disconnect to reduce image artifacts on chest radiographs (but leave on can save cost for replacements)
What is normal sinus rythm?
all other measurements of ECG within normal limits = heart functioning normally
(can have sinus tachycardia and sinus bradycardia)
What is asystole?
no systole at all. no CO
what is pulseless electrical activity (PEA)?
- No palpable pulse and myocardial muscle activity
- but have presence of organised electrical activity
- (electrical activity not able to make heart pump)
what is ventricular tachycardia?
life threatening arrythmia
(100 to 250bpm)
What is ventricular fibrillation?
- rapid erratic electrical impulse
- ventricles quiver (useless)
- no CO
Key considerations of patient care and safety in RADIOLOGY patients?
- IV cannulation and therapy
- drainage tubes, urinary catheter
- wound dressing
- Oxygen therapy
- suctioning
- monitoring vital signs
- ECG
