Vital Signs Flashcards
What are the vital signs (4-5 answers)
- Pulse
- Respirations
- Temperature
- Blood pressure
5*. Pain
When should vitals be taken? (6 answers)
- Upon admission
- Before an invasive procedure
- After an invasive procedure
- Before/during/after treatment or administration
- Physician/NP orders
- Significant changes in patient
What is the expected range of oral temperature?
36.5-37.5°C (Adult)
35.5-37.5°C (Child)
What are the variations of other temperature routes?
Axillary: -0.5°C
Rectal: +0.5°C
Temporal: +0.5°C
What temperature is considered a fever?
38°C
What is the diurnal pattern?
The natural temperature variation throughout the day (0.5-1°C)
What are the basics strengths and weaknesses of each method of temp taking? (3 methods)
Oral (golden standard): easy and non-invasive, thrown off by food or drink
Axillary: good babies and children, difficult
Rectal: highly accurate, highly invasive
What is the expected range of heart rate?
60-100 BPM (Adult)
80-120 BPM (Child)
What is the 0-4 scale?
Scale indicating the strength of a pulse with 0 being and absent pulse, and 4 being a bounding pulse
What should be looked for in a pulse? (4 answers)
- Rate
- Rythym
- Strength
- Elasticity
What is the pulse deficit?
Apical rate - Radial rate. Indicator of cardiovascular issues.
What is the expected range of respiration rate?
12-20 BPM (Adult)
18-25 BPM (Child)
12-24 BPM (Elder)
What should be looked for inrespirations? (4-5 answers)
- Rate
- Rythym
- Depth
- Quality
5*. Oxygen saturation
What is eupnea?
Expected repiratory findings
What is the expected range of blood-oxygen saturation?
92-100%
90-92% (Newborn)
What is the expected range for blood pressure?
120/180 (Adult healthy)
130-139/85-89 (Adult high expected)
97-115/57-76 (Child healthy)
What ranges are considered hypertention/hypotenion?
Hyper: 140/90+
Hypo: 90 syst. - or a drop of 30+mmHg
How is high blood pressure treated? (3 answers)
- Na intake reduction
- Cholesterol and carbohydrate reduction
- Blood thinners or other medications
