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Adult Nursing > Vital signs > Flashcards

Vital signs Flashcards

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1
Q

What should you look for when taking someone’s respiratory rate?

A
  • Was your person breathing slowly or rapidly?
  • Were they having to work hard to breathe?
  • Were they breathing through their nose or their mouth?
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2
Q

What should you listen for when taking someone’s respiratory rate?

A
  • Did you hear any extra breath sounds?
  • Did it sound normal?
  • Was the person coughing?
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3
Q

What should you feel for when taking someone’s respiratory rate?

A
  • Did you feel the chest rise and fall?
  • What is equal and bilateral?
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4
Q

What should you look for when taking someone’s pulse?

A
  • What was the colour of the person?
  • Were they pale?
  • Was their skin tone ‘normal’ for them?
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5
Q

What should you feel for when taking someone’s pulse?

A
  • Was the pulse strong or weak?
  • Was it bounding or thready?
  • What did the person’s skin feel like?
  • Were they hot or cold?
  • Sweaty or clammy?
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6
Q

What should you look for when taking someone’s blood pressure?

A
  • What was the colour of the person?
  • Were they pale?
  • Was their skin tone ‘normal’ for them?
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7
Q

What should you listen for when taking someone’s blood pressure?

A
  • Was the person’s blood pressure easy to take?
  • Did you clearly hear a karotkoff sound?
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8
Q

What should you feel for when taking someone’s blood pressure?

A
  • Did you find the radial pulse first?
  • Did you find the brachial pulse?
  • Was it strong or weak?
  • What did the person’s skin feel like?
  • Were they hot or cold?
  • Sweaty or clammy?
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9
Q

In a hospital setting, what people have their vital signs at least every 4 hours?

A

Patients who have:
- Elevated temperatures
- High or low blood pressures
- Changes in heart rate or rhythm
- Respiratory difficulty
- Had surgery
- Taken medications that affect cardiovascular or respiratory function

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10
Q

When should you assess vital signs?

A
  • Anytime there is a change in a patient’s condition
  • Before administering medications that affect cardiovascular or respiratory function
  • Before and after any surgical or invasive procedure
  • If the patient loses consciousness
  • On admission
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11
Q

What is diastolic pressure?

A

The minimum pressure that is exerted when the heart rests between beats.

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12
Q

What is pulse pressure?

A

The difference between the systolic and diastolic pressure.

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13
Q

What is systolic pressure?

A

The maximum pressure that is exerted when the left ventricle ejects blood into the aorta.

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14
Q

What is the average blood pressure of a newborn?

A

73/55 mmHg

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15
Q

What is the average blood pressure of a 1-3 year old?

A

90/55 mmHg

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16
Q

What is the average blood pressure of a 6-8 year old?

A

95/75 mmHg

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17
Q

What is the average blood pressure of a 10 year old?

A

102/62 mmHg

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18
Q

What is the average blood pressure of a teen?

A

102/80 mmHg

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19
Q

What is the average blood pressure of an adult?

A

120/80 mmHg

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20
Q

What is the average blood pressure of an over 70 year old?

A

120/80 mmHg (may be up to 160/95)

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21
Q

What are the two factors that help maintain normal blood pressure?

A
  • Arterioles are normally partially contracted to create a relatively constant level of peripheral resistance
  • Arteries have lots of elastic tissue that allow them to stretch, distend, and recoil between heart beats
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22
Q

How is cardiac output another physiological factor that contributes to blood pressure variations?

A

Pressure increases when the heart pumps more blood.

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23
Q

How is peripheral vascular resistance another physiological factor that contributes to blood pressure variations?

A

An increase in resistance also increases blood pressure.

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24
Q

How is circulating blood volume another physiological factor that contributes to blood pressure variations?

A

Blood pressure increases with volume.

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25
Q

How is viscosity of blood another physiological factor that contributes to blood pressure variations?

A

Thicker blood increases pressure.

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26
Q

How is elasticity of blood vessels another physiological factor that contributes to blood pressure variations?

A

Decreased elasticity increases blood pressure.

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27
Q

How is age a factor of blood pressure variations?

A

Older adults have decreases elasticity in their arteries, which increases peripheral resistance and blood pressure.

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28
Q

How is circadian rhythm a factor of blood pressure variations?

A

Blood pressure is lowest upon waking, and rises 5-10 mmHg by late afternoon.

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29
Q

How is gender a factor of blood pressure variations?

A

Women have lower blood pressure compared to men of the same age, until menopause.

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30
Q

How is food intake a factor of blood pressure variations?

A

Blood pressure increases after eating.

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31
Q

How is exercise a factor of blood pressure variations?

A

Systolic pressure increases during exercise.

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32
Q

How is weight a factor of blood pressure variations?

A

Obese people have higher blood pressure.

33
Q

How are emotions a factor of blood pressure variations?

A

Anger, fear, excitement, and pain increase blood pressure.

34
Q

How is body position a factor of blood pressure variations?

A

Blood pressure is lower when we’re lying down.

35
Q

How are medications a factor of blood pressure variations?

A

Oral contraceptives cause a mild increase in blood pressure.

36
Q

How is blood pressure assessed?

A

By listening for Korotkoff sounds.
In some people these sounds are heard distinctively, while in others only the first and last sounds are heard.

37
Q

What does the first Korotkoff sound indicate?

A

Systolic pressure.

38
Q

What does the Korotkoff sound disappearing indicate?

A

Diastolic pressure.

39
Q

What is the average heart rate for newborns?

A

80-180 bpm

40
Q

What is the average heart rate for 1-3 years?

A

80-140 bpm

41
Q

What is the average heart rate for 6-8 years?

A

75-120 bpm

42
Q

What is the average heart rate for 10 years?

A

75-110 bpm

43
Q

What is the average heart rate for teens, adults and over 70 years?

A

60-100 bpm

44
Q

What conditions increase heart rate?

A
  • Decreased blood pressure
  • Elevated temperature
  • Exercise
  • Fear, surprise, anger of anxiety
  • Medications such as adrenaline and glycosides
  • Pain
45
Q

What conditions decrease heart rate?

A
  • Hypothermia
  • Thinner people
  • Increasing age
46
Q

What is an absent pulse?

A

No pulsation is felt despite extreme pressure.

47
Q

What is a normal pulse?

A

Pulsation is easily felt; takes moderate pressure to cause it to disappear.

48
Q

What is a thready pulse?

A

Pulsation is not easily felt and slight pressure causes it to disappear.

49
Q

What is a weak pulse?

A

Stronger than a thready pulse; light pressure causes it to disappear.

50
Q

What is a bounding pulse?

A

The pulsation is strong and does not disappear when moderate pressure.

51
Q

What is tachycardia?

A

A rapid heart rate decreases cardiac, flling time, which descreases stroke volume and cardiac output.

52
Q

What is bradycardia?

A

A heart rate below 60 beats per minute.

53
Q

What is the average respiration rate in newborns?

A

30-80 breaths per minute

54
Q

What is the average respiration rate in 1-3 years?

A

20-40 breaths per minute

55
Q

What is the average respiration rate in 6-8 years?

A

15-25 breaths per minute

56
Q

What is the average respiration rate in 10 years?

A

15-35 breaths per minute

57
Q

What is the average respiration rate in teens and over 70 year olds?

A

15-20 breaths per minute

58
Q

What is the average respiration rate in adults?

A

12-20 breaths per minute

59
Q

How does age affect respiration rate?

A

Respiratory rate decreases with age.

60
Q

How does sex affect respiration rate?

A

Male respiratory movements are diaphragmatic, while female respiratory movements involve greater intercostal muscle movement.

61
Q

How does exercise affect respiration rate?

A

Increases respiratory rate and depth.

62
Q

How does acid-based balance affect respiration rate?

A

Alterations in balance increase rate and depth of respirations. For example, acidosis causes hyperventilation.

63
Q

How does altitude affect respiration rate?

A

Increased altitude increases rate and depth prior to adaption by increasing hemoglobin levels.

64
Q

How does respiratory disease affect respiration rate?

A

Any change is respiratory function result in changes in respiratory rate.

65
Q

How does anemia affect respiration rate?

A

Increases respiration rate.

66
Q

How do medications affect respiration rate?

A

May slow or increase rate and depth depending on type.

67
Q

How does acute pain affect respiration rate?

A

Increases rate, but may decrease depth.

68
Q

What is apnea?

A

A period of no breathing.

69
Q

What is orthopnea?

A

Breathing more easily in an upright position.

70
Q

What is bradypnea?

A

Decreased rate that occurs in some pathological conditions.

71
Q

What is dyspnea?

A

Difficult or laboured breathing.

72
Q

What is tachypnea?

A

Increased rate in response to an increased metabolic rate.

73
Q

What is eupnea?

A

Normal respiration; one respiration to four heart beats.

74
Q

What are Cheyne-Stokes respirations?

A

Alternating periods of deep, rapid breathing followed by periods of apnea.

75
Q

Why are respiration rate and heart rate measured together?

A

They are measured together so that the person doesn’t modify their respiration rate in response to the person being aware of you measuring his or her respiration rate.

76
Q

What is the average body temperate for newborns?

A

36.8 degrees Celcius

77
Q

What is the average body temperature for 1-3 year olds?

A

37.7 degrees Celcius

78
Q

What is the average body temperature for 6-10 year olds, teens and adults?

A

37 degrees Celcius

79
Q

What is the average body temperature for over 70 year olds?

A

36 degrees Celcius

Adult Nursing (23 decks)

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