Unit 4 Lesson 2: The Essential Signs of Life Flashcards
1.
What are vital signs
Vital signs are the measurements of essential body functions.
What are we doing when we measure vital signs
When we are measuring vital signs like temperature, blood pressure, respiration rate, and pulse rate, we are studying the essential physical processes that occur in a living body.
Assessing someone’s vital signs is a good indicator of how well their body is
functioning
The basic four vital signs are
The basic four are blood pressure, temperature, pulse rate, and respiration rate.
Often, a fifth vital sign is added which is to measure how much oxygen is present in the blood—this is called
oxygen saturation
Other assessments that may be considered along with the four or five main ones are include
pain levels, smoking status, and emotional distress.
Other assessments that may be considered along with the four or five main ones are include pain levels, smoking status, and emotional distress. Why are those important to think anout
In many situations, these additional factors can help medical teams quickly figure out the next steps to take for a patient
1.
Do vital sings guarntee physiolgical well-being
But in some cases, a person with stable vital signs that are within the normal limits may have urgent medical needs. Vital signs indicate but do not guarantee physiological well-being.
Impact of tracking vital signs over time
Vital signs are important pieces of information, and tracking vital signs over time can be very helpful for assessing changes in a patient’s physiological functioning.
When doing patient vital signs, you may also need to take anthropometric measurements
non-invasive physical measurements to determine body composition, shape, and size
What does tracking childeren’s g height, weight, and head circumference (for babies) do
. For children, tracking height, weight, and head circumference (for babies) will help medical staff to determine if the patient is growing appropriately or if there may be an underlying problem that can be addressed.
What does measuring adults height, weight, waist circumference do
In adults, measuring height, weight, waist circumference, and skinfold thickness can help to determine if a patient is underweight or obese.
s
Common times to measure a patient’s vital signs include
on admission to the hospital; during a visit to a clinic or doctor’s office; before, during and after a procedure or surgery; whenever the patient’s condition changes; on initial patient contact for emergency medical technicians; or at the beginning of a shift in the hospital.
The frequency of measuring vitals depends on the situation and the patient’s health. Give me some examples
In an emergency with a critically injured patient, constant monitoring of vital signs may be necessary, while a stable hospitalized patient may need their vitals taken only every four to eight hours.
What does the frequency of measuring vitals depned on
The frequency of measuring vitals depends on the situation and the patient’s health.
“Normal” can vary from person to person. IS this also true for body temperature
“Normal” can vary from person to person. What is a normal body temperature for one person might be a little high or low for another.
What causes body temperture to fluctuate
Plus, one person’s temperature can fluctuate due to exercise, age, or the environment they are in.
For a long time, 98.6° Fahrenheit has been considered the “normal” temperature for human adults. Waht has recent study shown
more recent research has been finding that this is probably higher than the average temperature.
What is the normal average body temperature for adults
For adults, somewhere between 97-100° Fahrenheit can be seen as a normal average body temperature.
~~~
```
Are slight variations tempertures in be a concern
Slight variations in temperature that are temporary are not considered significant.
When should varitations in body temperture be a concern
Variations that are greater are a sign of disturbance of the function of some body function.
Can you judge the severity of a conditon on the degree of temperatre variation alone
. The most serious conditions might exhibit only a slight elevation of body temperature, so you can’t judge the severity of a condition on degree of temperature variation alone.
The human body has a process to maintain a stable body temperature. What is this called
thermoregulation
The most accurate measurement is considered to be a
rectal temperature reading, taken by inserting a thermometer in the anus, which can be done on small children or adults who cannot hold a thermometer under their tongue.
When body temperature is higher or lower than the normal range, the body can become too hot or cold for normal functioning. ​How does this happen
This can occur when the outer conditions create more heat or cold than the body’s thermoregulation can handle and happens more quickly in people who have a condition or disease that interferes with thermoregulation.
The most common way to take a temperature is
orally–by the mouth
The body balances heat production and heat loss by sensing variations and using processes to compensate. How does the body reduce or increse body temperature
When the body needs to reduce temperature, it activates mechanisms such as sweating and increasing the diameter of blood vessels. To increase body temperature, shivering and an increase in metabolism are triggered. In addition, we can consciously alter body temperature by putting on more clothing, turning on an air conditioner, or moving to a warmer or cooler place.
What is the normal temperture in celsisus and ferhinent
Temperature can either be measured in Fahrenheit, where approximately 98° is “normal,” or Celsius, where the equivalent “normal” temperature is 37°.
tympanic temperature,
A temperature reading taken in the ear is called tympanic temperature
Axillary temperature
Axillary temperature is a measurement taken under the armpit.
temporal temperature
a reading taken by scanning the forehead and temple area of the head is called temporal temperature.
Glass Thermometer
have an expandable liquid filling, but mercury-filled thermomters are no longer recommended. A red tip signals the thermometer is for rectal, not oral use. Oral thermometers can also be used to take axillary temperature
Electronic thermomters
professional electronic thermometers have an electronic probe attached to a portable unit with a wite. Disposable plastic sheaths are used to cover the probe, and they can be used for oral, rectal and eaxillary temperatures
Electonic Infared Thermometers
These detect hear in the form of infared energy that the body gives off, They may be designed for temporal or tympanic use.
Disposable Checmial Thermomters
A thin plastic strip or tape, chemical thermometers chanfe colors at certain temperatures. Thee are designed for either oral, axillary, forehead or abdominal skin use
Procedures for Taking Temperature
Make sure to clean a thermometer before and after each use if it is not disposable. Select the appropriate thermometer type. Maintain medical asepsis throughout the procedure, including wearing gloves and properly disposing of any waste.
Procedures for Taking Temperature for electronic thermometer
Turn on the thermometer, if electronic. Insert the thermometer in a sheath or use one assigned to only one patient. Ready the site for assessment, working gently with the patient.
Procedure for taking temperture orally
For oral readings, insert under the tongue with patient’s mouth closed until thermometer beeps or for the recommended time for non-digital devices. For oral temperature, make sure to assess at least 20 to 30 minutes after patient has consumed hot or cold substances or has smoked.
procedures for rectal temperture
For rectal temperature, the patient must be positioned appropriately, the thermometer dipped in Vaseline or other lubricant, and once inserted, the healthcare worker must hold the thermometer securely in place to prevent any injury.
procedures for temporal readings
For temporal readings, make sure that the hair is out of the way and follow directions for the specific device.
Procedures for tympanic or dispoable chemical thermometers
For tympanic or disposable chemical thermometers, follow directions of the manufacturer.
