Vital Signs Flashcards
What is considered normal blood pressure?
less than 120/ less than 80
What is considered elevated blood pressure?
Systolic 120-129 and diastolic less than 80
What is considered hypertension stage 1?
Systolic 130-139 or diastolic 80-89
what is considered hypertension stage 2
systolic 140 or higher and diastolic 90 or higher
what is considered a hypertensive crisis?
a systolic higher than 180 and diastolic higher than 120
What are clinical indications of cardiovascular disease?
-dyspnea (abnormal breathing)
-Fatigue
-Chest pain or palpitations
-Cyanosis (poor circulation to extremities [blue tine]) and digital clubbing
-Intermittent claudication
-edema
-overweight
what is blood pressue?
the pressure exerted on arterial walls due to the contractile force of blood ejected by the ventricles each beat against the resistance of the arterial walls
what is systolic pressure?
Peak ventricular contractile force pushing blood through the arteries
What is diastolic pressure?
Occurs when the ventricles are relaxed; the lowest pressure against the walls of an artery
Why does blood pressure increase with age?
-stiffer blood vessels
-fills up with plaque
-smaller tube = greater force
Our blood pressure is the lowest in the ______ and increases (peaks) in the ________
Morning, Afternoon
Most cardiac medications and narcotics will…
decrease BP
what is hypotension?
Low blood pressure. Systolic less than 90.
What are signs of an abnormally low BP?
-tachycardia (HR bumps up to try to get blood to the rest of the body)
-dizziness
-confusion & restlessness
-cool, clammy, pale
what is orthostatic hypotension?
When a person’s blood pressure falls when moving from a seated or lying position to a standing position. There is greater than 20mmhg change in systolic and greater than 10mmhg change in diastolic
what are possible causes of hypotension?
-prolonged bed rest
-decreased blood vol
-medications
-bradycardia
-heart attack
-hormonal issues
-nutritional deficiencies
Phase 1 karotkoff sounds
first faint clear sound, systolic pressure is recorded as the first of 2 successive soudns
phase 2 Korotkoff sounds
sound changes to a murmur and can be distinguished as a swishing sound
phase 3 karotkoff sounds
distinguished as knocking
Phase 4 kartokoff sound
sounds become muffled as the pressure in the cuff decreases. They can be soft “blowing” quality
phase 5 karotkoff sound
silence- disappearance of sound (diastolic(
auscultatory gap
A brief period when karotkoff sounds disappear during auscultation of blood pressure; common with hypertension. Phase II disappears which can lead to falsely low systolic and falsely high diastolic
what is considered a normal pulse rate?
60-90 bpm
what is considered bradycardia?
Less than 60 bpm
what is considered tachycardia?
greater than 100 bpm
what is normal pulse rate for newborns?
70-190 bpm
what is a normal pulse rate for children?
70-120 bpm
What is a thready (+1) pulse?
It is easily obliterated, barely perceptible, in and out
A pulse that is absent (0) is…
no perceptible pulse
A pulse that is weak (+2) is..
difficult to palpate, stronger than thready, and obliterated with light pressure
A pulse that is normal (3+) is..
easy to palpate, requires moderate pressure to obliterate
A pulse that is bounding (+4) is…
very strong, not obliterated with moderate pressure
A rhythm that is regular…
has equal intervals between beats
A rhythm that is regularly irregular…
skips the same beat each cycle
A rhythm that is irregularly irregular
skips beats randomly
a bigeminal rhythm is when…
two beats occur in rapid succession
what should you look for when checking respiration?
-rate
-depth
-rhythm
-regularity of breaths
respiratory rates should be taken…
passively
abnormal respiratory sounds
Adventitious; includes crackles, rhonchi, and wheezes
wheezing breath sounds
high pitched whistling sounds from narrowed airways
stridor breath sounds
high pitched, harsh sounds caused by spasm or swelling of the larynx or an obstruction in the upper airway (glottis or trachea)
crackles/rales breath sounds
rattling or bubbling sounds
stertorous breathing
breathing that sounds like snoring; obstruction of upper airway
beta blockers and ace inhibitors can ______ pulse response
blunt
beta-adrenergic blockers (albuterol) will…
decrease
pulse rate
Hyperventilation is…
tachypnea so great that blood levels of carbon dioxide decrease to dangerous levels
what are normal respiration rates for newborns? (breaths/min)
30-60
what are normal respiration rates during early childhood?
20-40
what are normal respiration rates during late childhood?
15-28
what are normal respiration rates during adolescence?
18-22
what are normal respiration rates in adult males?
14-18
what are normal respiration rates in adult females?
16-20
what is considered tachypnea?
rapid breathing; greater than 20 breaths per min
what is considered bradypnea?
slow breathing; less than 10 breaths per min
what is apnea?
absence of breathing
what is normal O2 saturation?
92-100%
What is pulse oximetry?
A measure of arterial oxyhemoglobin saturation
how do pulse oximeters work?
oxygenated hemoglobin absorbs more infrared light and deoxygenated hemoglobin absorbs more red light. Pulse oximeters compare red and infrared light absorption.
what is deconditioned O2 saturation?
less than 88%
What are the limitations of pulse oximeters?
-poor circulation or anemia decreases SO2
- COPD
-temperature
-nail polish
-ambient light
-movement
-CO inhalation
what are the pulse sites?
carotid, brachial, radial, ulnar, femoral, popliteal, dorsalis pedis artery
what is considered normal temperature?
98.6 F
what is considered a fever?
Above 101
infections and deep vein thrombosis will ______ temperature. TBI’s and SCI’s will _______ temperature because the thermoregulatory system is impacted.
Increase
increase or decrease
the strength or amplitude of pulse reflects…..
stroke volume= the vol of blood ejected out of the left ventricle of the heart during each systolic cardiac contraction
what is pulse?
A wave of blood from one contraction of the left ventricle during a cardiac cycle
