Vital signs Flashcards
Two important habits must be developed by the medical assistant before taking a patient’s vital signs
Aseptic technique in the form of hand washing2.Correction of factors that may influence results of vital signs.
usually obtained during the patient’s initial visit. These baseline results are used as a reference point.
Baseline assesments
Referred to as cardinal signs
What are these four>
Vital signs Respiration pulse Blood pressure temperature
Indicative of the general health and well-being of a patient
Vital signs
factors can affect Vital Signs
Anxiety over potential results
Angry or have rushed into office
Eat or drink before examination
Patient apprehension and mood
Variations in results can indicate
a .new disease process
b. patient’s response to treatment
c. patient’s compliance with a treatment plan
Body temperature is maintained and regulated by two processes functioning in conjunction with one another:
- heat production
2. heat loss
The delicate balance between heat production and heat loss is maintained by the ______
Hypothalamus
Body heat is produced by
The actions of voluntary and involuntary muscles,
as the muscles move, they use energy, which produces heat.
Cellular metabolic activities,
such as the process of breaking down food sugars into simpler components (catabolism), are another source of heat.
The body loses heat by
Convection Conduction Radiation Evaporation Elimination
Heat that is lost through the normal functioning of the intestinal, urinary, and respiratory tracts
Elimination
A heat loss mechanism that uses heat absorption through vaporization of perspiration.
Evaporation
The process by which heat is lost through the skin by being transferred from the skin by air currents flowing across it, such as a fan used on a hot day for cooling purpose
Convection
The transfer of heat from within the body to the surface of the skin and then to surrounding cooler objects touching the skin, such as clothing.
Conduction
The transfer of heat from within the body to the surface of the skin and then to surrounding cooler objects touching the skin, such as clothing.
Conduction
Decrease in temperature may result from:
Viral infections
b. Decreased muscular activity
c. Fasting
d. A depressed emotional state
e. Exposure to cold
f. Drugs that decrease metabolic activities,
g. Age, in this instance refers to older adults, in that older adults have decreased metabolic activity resulting in a decrease in body temperature.
Other factors that can increase or decrease bodytemperature:
Time of day
during sleep
early morning
Terms to describe body temperature
absence of fever
a fluctuating fever that returns to or below baseline, then increases again
another name of fever
body temperature increased beyond normal range
a fever that remains above the baseline; it does not fluctuate but remains fairly constant
a fluctuating fever that does not return to the baseline temperature; it fluctuates but remains increased
afebrile Intermittent pyrexia fever continuous Remittent
What are the type of thermometers
define
Disposable Thermometers- individually wrapped strips not acurate
Electronic and Digital Thermometer- Widely used
red-rectal
blue oral
Tympanic Thermometer- PEDIATRIC More popular because theyarefast,
providenodiscomforttothepatient,canbeusedon
Inaccurate readings can result if patients:
Cerumen
Otitis media
