Vital Sign Assessment Flashcards
When taking a set of vitals the first set is known as the
Baseline
When taking a blood pressure the cuff should measure
2/3 of the humerus
If a BP cuff is too wide the reading will be too
low
If a BP cuff is too narrow the reading will be
high
An adult systolic BP range is 90 to
140
Capillary refill should return by the time you can say ___ or under ___ seconds
hamburger, 2
Capillary refill is most accurate under the age of
6
You can replace a BP with cap refill if under the age of ___
3
When describing a persons skin it should be pink, warm and
dry
To assess the neurological status the ___ is used
GCS (Glasgow Coma Scale)
To assess the person’s LOC, ___ is used
AVPU (Awake Verbal Pain Unresponsive)
Pupils when exposed to light should
constrict
Uneven/unequal pupils may indicate a
stroke
The ventilation rate for a five year old is between
15 to 30
A 6 month olds ventilations should be between
25 to 50
All numbers given as vital signs are ___ unless you are documenting temperature .
even
The unofficial 5th vital sign
pain
General Impression
EMT develops a plan of action from the time the call is received until the first few
minutes of arrival
Scene Size Up
- Immediately upon arrival the EMT looks for MOI/IOS, Safety, Number of Patients, and if
Help Needed
Initial (Primary) Assessment
AVPU, CC, ABCDE. Used to find life threatening situations and treat them
immediately when found
General (Secondary) Assessment
SAMPLE, Vitals, and Physical Assessment
Ongoing Assessment
Start over at AVPU. Every 5 minutes for unstable, every 15 minutes for stable.
Report
Give ID, Age, Sex, CC, …….., Care Given, ETA.
Chief Complaint (CC)/ Nature of Illness (NOI)
Why the person called 911. In their words is the CC.
LOC
Level of consciousness not loss of consciousness
BSI
stands for Body Substance Isolation. All bodily fluids are contaminated
Paradoxical motion
when 3 or more consecutive ribs are broken in two or more places making the
broken area move in an opposite direction as the rest.
Crepitus
e bone ends grinding as they rub against each other during CPR for example. Or air trapped
under the skin and makes a popping sound
Edema
swelling
What are the baseline vitals
Pulse, BP, Respirations, Temperature
Trending
the comparison of other sets of vitals taken compared to the baseline.
Ventilation
is the act of the chest moving
Respirations
the act of getting air into the body and to tissue and out.
Adult respiration rate
12 to 20 in a minute
Words to describe ventilations
noisy, quiet, deep, shallow, normal, effortless.
Snoring
tongue has fallen back and is blocking the airway.
Gurgling
fluid in the upper airway.
Wheezing
reversible narrowing of the lower airway
Stridor
Partial upper airway obstruction. High pitched sound heard on inhalation
Rales
fine crackling bubbles in the alveoli.
Rhonci
fluid in the bronchioles.
Wet lung
Pulmonary edema.
What is pulse?
the contraction of the left ventricular.
When is carotid pulse checked?
unresponsive adults and children.
When is radial pulse checked
responsive adults and children.
What pulse is checked on infants?
Brachial
What does Auscultation mean for blood pressure
Listen
What does Palpation mean for blood pressure
Feel
Normal range for temperature
96.4 to 99.6
What does SAMPLE stand for
Sign and symptoms, Allergies, Medication, Pertinent past, Last intake, Events.
What describes the S in Sample (Sign and symptoms)
Onset, Provocation, Quality, Radiation, Severity, Time.
DCAPBTLS (physical assessment)
Deformities, Contusions, Abrasions, Punctures, Burns, Tenderness, Lacerations, Swelling.
When to do a detail assessment
major injuries, young patients, unresponsive, intoxicated, under the influence patients.
Sign
something you see, feel or touch and can validate.
Symptom
something the patient describes
What does PEARL mean
Pupils Equal and Reactive to Light.
