Test 4 Flashcards
vital signs
measurements of the body’s most basic functions
-used to detect/monitor medical problems
where can vital signs be measured?
anywhere
- medical setting
- home
- onsite of a medical emergency
- elsewhere
what are types of vital signs?
- body temperature
- heartrate/pulse
- respiration rate
- blood pressure
- oxygen saturation
what is body temperature?
physiologic balance between heat production in body tissues and heat lost to the environment
what is body temperature controlled by?
hypothalamus
what can body temperature be influenced by?
normal and abnormal conditions
- environment
- time of day
- age
- weight
- hormones
- emotions
- exercise
- digestion
- injury
- disease
what is temperature most commonly measured in?
celcius
what are ways to measure body temperature?
- oral (under the tongue)
- rectal (anal opening)
- axillary(under armpit)
- tympanic membrane (through auditory canal)
what is the oral thermometer?
blue
electric
how is oral recorded?
O
what is the rectal thermometer?
red
electric
how is rectal recorded?
R
what is the axillary thermometer?
electric
how is axillary recorded?
Ax
what type of thermometer is tympanic membrane?
tympanic
how is tympanic membrane recorded?
T
what way of measuring body temperature is the safest?
axillary-but very position dependant so not reliable
what is normal body temp for a newborn-1 year?
C=37.5-37.7
F=99.4-99.7
what is the normal body temp for a person 3-5 years?
C=37-37.2
F=98.6-99
what is a normal body temp for a person 7-9 years?
C=36.7-36.8
F=98.1-98.3
what is the normal body temp for a person 10 years or older?
C=36.6
F=97.8
what is the rule of thumb for axillary temp?
about 0.5 degrees Celsius lower than oral
what is the rule if thumb for rectal temperature?
about 0.5-1 degree Celsius higher than oral
what is the rule of thumb for tympanic temperature/
about 0.8 degrees Celsius higher than oral
what is pyrexia?
body temp elevated above normal values
what are symptoms for pyrexia?
- increased pulse rate
- increased respiratory rate
- general discomfort or aching
- loss of appetite
- flushed skin that is hot to touch
- chills
what can happen if body temp remains high for a prolonged amount of time?
can cause damage to CNS
what is hypothermia?
body temperature below normal values
what are symptoms for hypothermia?
- shivering
- slurred speech
- slow and shallow breathing
- weak pulse
- confusion
- drowsiness
what can be medically induced?
hypothermia-reduce a patients need for oxygen
what can heart rate/pulse be influenced by?
internal and external conditions
what is heart rate/pulse measured in?
beats per minute
what do you take notes of when measuring heart rate?
-rate
-rhythm
-strength
-characteristics
LOOK IN NOTES
rate
number of beats per minute
rhythm
interval between beats
- even or uneven
- arrhythmia?
arrhythmia
any variation from the normal rhythm of the heart
tachycardia
abnormally rapid pulse rate
what is an abnormal rapid heart rate?
over 100 bpm
bradycardia
abnormally slow pulse rate
what is an abnormal slow pulse rate?
under 60 bpm
strength
pressure you feel or hear
what is normal resting heart rate for an infant?
120bpm
what is the normal resting heart rate for 4-10 year old?
90-100 bpm
what is an normal resting heartrate for an adult?
60-90 bpm
where are the pulse locations?
- temporal
- carotid
- apical
- brachial
- radial
- femoral
- popliteal
- posterior tibial
- dorsalis pedis
what are important tips for measuring heart rate?
- don’t press on the artery too much
- never use your thumb
- feel for 30s and x2
- if irregular count for 1 minute
how is a strong pulse rate of 80 beats/min documented?
HR: 80bpm, strong
what is the function of respiration?
exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide between the external environment and blood circulating in the body
what does one respiration cycle equal?
one respiration and one expiration
what can respiration rate be influenced by?
- medication
- illness
- exercise
- age
- body habitus
- body position
- e.t.c
how long do you monitor respiration rate?
monitor for 20 seconds and multiply by 3
-if irregular, monitor for 60 seconds
what is the respiration rate for infants?
30-60 breaths/min
what is the respiration rate for adults?
15-20 breaths/min
normal respirations should be___________
quiet
effortless
uniform
fewer than 10 breaths/min may result in ___________
- cyanosis
- apprehension
- restlessness
- decreased level of consciousness due to the inadequate supply of oxygen to body tissues
dyspnea
patient who is using an increased amount of effort to breath
tachypnea
breathing rate above the normal amount
what do you watch for when measuring respiration?
- depth-symmetry of chest movement
- character-distressed, wheezing, quiet, etc
- observe skin colour
where is cyanosis most easily observed?
around the mouth, gums, nailbeds and earlobes
what are respirations documented with?
- rate
- depth
- description
what is blood pressure?
amount of blood flow ejected from the left ventricle of the heart during systole (contraction) and the amount of resistance the blood meets due to systemic vascular resistance
what is blood pressure influenced by?
- blood volume
- blood viscosity
- elasticity of vessel wall
what decreases BP?
-hemorrhage or dehydration causes less blood volume
what increases BP?
- thicker blood is more viscous (hypercoagulable state)
- age, plaque reduces flexibility of vessel walls
what instrument measures blood pressure?
sphygmomanometer
systolic pressure
the highest point reached during contraction of the left ventricle as it pumps blood into the aorta.
diastolic pressure
the lowest point to which pressure drops during relaxation of the ventricles and indicates the minimal pressure exerted against the arterial walls continuously