Vital Signs Flashcards
What are Vital signs indications of?
Homeostasis
imbalance could be a precursor of disease/illness
stress, food, medical condition, age, physical activity can affects vital signs
Temperature
measure of heat production and heat loss
orally via digital thermometer
aurally via tympanic thermometer
temporally via temporal artery scanner
axillary and rectal temperatures not commonly performed
Pyrexia
Fever; High body temperature
common cause is infection
Normal temperatures
Normal oral, tympanic & temporal:
98.6 degrees F (37 degrees C)
Axillary temp. 1 degree F cooler on avg.
Rectal temp. 1 degree F higher
Heart Rate
A reflection of pulse
Radial pulse
located on thumb side of wrist
most common site for Adult pulse
Brachial pulse
inside the upper arm
most common site for Children pulse
Carotid
located in neck just below jaw bone
most common for use in Emergency procedures
Other pulse locations
other locations reflect circulation distal to the pulse site
ex. A strong femoral pulse demonstrates circulation being sent to the lower extremity
ex. If pedal pulse (located in foot) is absent, circulation to toes is affected
Pulse
is evaluated on Rate, Rhythm/Regularity, & Volume/Strength
ex.
rate - 70/min
rhythm - regular
strength - thready
thready - reflects a pulse as difficult to detect or faint
bounding - describes pulse as being very strong
Heart rate relation with age
Heart Rates tend to SLOW with age
Auscultation
Listening usually with a stethoscope
Palpitation
the act of touching
Respiration
evaluated on Rate, Rhythm, & depth
depth describes how much air is inhaled (ex. shallow)
decreases with age
Normal Respiratory Rate in Newborn
30-50/min
Normal Respiratory Rate in Adults
12-20/min
Wheezing
A whistling sound heard on expiration that is the body’s attempt to expel trapped air
Rales
Clicking or crackling sounds heard on inspiration that can sound moist or dry
Rhonchi
Common rattling snoring sounds often associated with chronic lung disease
Sphygmomanometer
An instrument used to measure blood pressure that has a graduated scale for determining systolic and diastolic pressure by increasing and gradually releasing the pressure in the cuff
Blood Pressure
single most important vital signs in identifying the force of blood circulating arteries
bp tends to rise with age
Equipment needed to measure bp
Sphygmomanometer
Blood pressure cuff
Stethoscope
Systolic Pressure
The first sharp tapping sound heard during reading
when the blood begins to surge into the artery that has been occluded by the inflation of the blood pressure cuff
Diastolic Pressure
The last sound heard during reading
when blood is flowing freely
Korotkoff sounds
The 5 phases of articular relaxation that are audible while maintaining manual blood pressure
Phase 1 - Systolic Pressure
Phase 2 - Swishing sound as more blood flows through artery
Phase 3 - Sharp tapping sounds as even more blood is surging
Phase 4 - Sound changes to a soft tapping sound which begins to muffle
Phase 5 - Diastolic Pressure
Normal BP in Infants & Children
60/30 to 100/80 mmHg
Normal BP in Adults
100/60 to 140/80 mmHg
Pulse Oximetry
Percentage of Oxygen saturation in the blood
95% is Normal
Nail polish blocks light & should be removed
