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MCQ Exam > Vital Signs > Flashcards

Vital Signs Flashcards

0
Q

What is normal oral temperature?

A

35.8 - 37.5

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1
Q

What is Thermoregulation?

A

The feedback mechanism used by the hypothalamus of the brain to regulate body temperature

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2
Q

What is conduction?

A

Heat transfer from object with higher temperature to object with lower temperature

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3
Q

What is responsible for 3% of body heat loss?

A

Direct contact with solids, liquids and gas

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4
Q

What brings body temp up?

A

Warm bath
Hot pack
Clothes/blankets

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5
Q

What brings body temp down?

A

Cold pack

Contact with cool surface/water

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6
Q

What is convection?

A

Transfer of heat by fluid (air, water, gas) current movement (responsible for 15% body heat loss)

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7
Q

What brings body temp up (convection)?

A

Hair dryer

Forced air warming blankets

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8
Q

What brings body temp down convection)?

A

Wind chill

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9
Q

What does the hypothalamus do?

A

Senses blood temperature and balances heat production with heat loss

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10
Q

What does bodily heat loss mechanisms (negative feedback) do?

A

Redistribute surface blood flow, cause vasodilation and/or sweating

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11
Q

What does heat conservation mechanisms (negative feedback) do?

A

Increase cell metabolism, cause vasoconstriction, shivering, hair erection (goose bumps)

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12
Q

What are factors that affect body temperature?

A 
Age
Exercise
Hormone level
Circadian rhythm 
Stress
Environment
Fever
Non-febrile diseases
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13
Q

How to take a oral temperature?

A

Base of tongue to right/left frenulum
Lips closed, avoid biting
Allow 15 min following consumed hot/cold beverages

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14
Q

How to take a axillary temp?

A

Place the thermometer in middle of axilla
Leave glass thermometer in place for 5 mins
Placement affects reading

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15
Q

How to take a tympanic temp?

A

Attach cover to probe
Place thermometer over entrance to ear canal
Grasp pinna and gently pull up and back, aim probe towards opposite ear
Press start
Wait for signal, beep sound

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16
Q

How to take a rectal (don gloves) temp?

A

Position patient with buttocks exposed
Asking the patient to take a deep breath insert lubricated thermometer 1.5-2.5 cm into the anus
Leave for 1 min

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17
Q

What is hypothetmia?

A

A decrease in body temperature due to the inability if the body to produce heat usually caused by prolonged exposure to cold

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18
Q

What are the symptoms of hypothermia?

A

Sleepiness and coma
Locally frostbite
Arrhythmia/cardiac arrest/ death after 20-30 min exposure

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19
Q

What is hyperthermia?

A

An elevated body temp, related to the inability of the body to promote heat loss or reduce heat production

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20
Q

What are the symptoms of hyperthermia?

A

Leads to tissue damage (in brain) due to protein losses, lack off oxygen and nutrients to the cells
Death without intervention (41-44)
Fevers below 40 should be allowed to run their course

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21
Q

What is the normal rectal temp?

A

36.2-38

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22
Q

To where does the heart circulate blood?

A

To all body tissues via arterial blood vessels

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23
Q

What does each heart beat create?

A

A pressure wave (pulse) throughout the length of the vascular bed

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24
Q

Where is the pulse palpated?

A

At body sites where an artery lies close to the skin and over a bone

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25
Q

What is the pulse rate?

A

The number of pulsating sensations occurring in 1 minute

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26
Q

What is the cardiac output?

A

The volume if blood pumped by the heart (stroke volume-SV) during 1 minute

27
Q

What are the most common sites

to palpate the pulse?

A

Radial and carotid arteries

28
Q

How do you take a pulse?

A

Use the pads of first 3 fingers
• Apply moderate pressure
• Count for 60 seconds

29
Q

What is the rate in obs?

A

Number of beats per

minute (bpm)

30
Q

What is Bradycardia?

31
Q

What is Tachycardia?

32
Q

What is rhythm in pulse?

A 
Pattern of beats and 
intervals 
Regular 
• Irregular e.g. 
dysrythmia/arrythmia 
• Thready/bounding
33
Q

What is the strength/amplitude in pulse?

A 
- Force 
of the blood with each beat 
• Normal pulse can be felt 
with moderate pressure, 
occluded with heavy 
pressure 
• Strong/Weak
34
Q

What are the normal pulse ranges?

A

Infant- 120-160bpm
• Child- 75-100bpm
• Adult- 60-100bpm

35
Q

What are the Factors which affect the

pulse?

A 
Age 
• Gender 
• Exercise 
• Fever (body temperature) 
• Medication 
• Hypovolaemia 
• Stress 
• Positional changes 
• Pathology 
• Pregnancy
36
Q

When do you record a pulse rate?

A 
– On admission (baseline) 
– Before and after any 
procedure 
– Any change to patient 
condition 
• After a major fluid loss e.g. 
bleeding, vomiting, diarrhea 
– During blood transfusion 
– During intravenous 
administration of medication 
– During introduction of new 
medication
37
Q

What is blood pressure?

A

the lateral force on the walls of an artery from the blood pulsing under pressure from the heart

38
Q

What is diastolic pressure?

A
  • the resting pressure between each heart beat
39
Q

What is systolic pressure?

A

the maximum pressure within an artery

when ejection occurs

40
Q

What is Systemic vascular resistance (SVR)?

A

resistance to blood flow within the systemic vasculature
SVR= BP
CO

41
Q

What is Pulse pressure (PP)?

A
  • the difference between the highest and the lowest level of blood pressure
    PP= systolic pressure– diastolic pressure
42
Q

What is Mean arterial pressure (MAP)?

A

the average pressure in the
arteries during a cardiac cycle
MAP= diastolic + 1/3 PP

43
Q

What is a direct measure of blood pressure?

A

arterial cannula connected to a transducer

44
Q

What is a indirect measurement of blood pressure?

A

Dinamap or sphygmomanometer

45
Q

What are the Factors which affect BP?

A 
– Age 
– Gender 
– Stress 
– Race 
– Medications 
– Obesity 
– Diurnal variation 
– Exercise 
– Patient’s position 
– Pain 
– Cardiovascular disease
46
Q

What are the normal ranges of blood pressure?

A 
Normal ranges 
 Systolic: 100-140mmHg 
 Diastolic: 60- 80mmHg 
• Hypertension 
 Diastolic >80mmHg 
 Systolic >140mmHg 
• Hypotension 
 Systolic <100 mmHg
47
Q

What is ventilation?

A

movement of gases into and out of the lungs

48
Q

What is respiration?

A

mechanism the body uses to exchange gases between the atmosphere, blood and cells

49
Q

What is diffusion?

A

movement of oxygen (O2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) between the lung alveoli and red blood cells

50
Q

What is hypoxia?

A

insufficient levels of arterial O2

51
Q

What is Hypoxeamia?

A

abnormally low levels of arterial O2

52
Q

What is Hypercapnoea?

A

abnormally high levels of arterial CO2

53
Q

What is Respiratory failure?

A

respiratory system is unable to supply necessary oxygen

or cannot eliminate carbon dioxide (CO2)

54
Q

How do you measure respiratory rate?

A

While fingers still in place from pulse count, observe RR
 Observe complete respiratory cycle (inspiration and expiration)
 Count rate for 60 seconds if irregular and note pattern
 Note depth: shallow, normal, deep
 Note audibility: silent, effortless, respiratory sounds
 Document and report abnormal findings

55
Q

What is Bradypnoea?

56
Q

What is Tachypnoea?

57
Q

What is Apnoea?

A

cessation of breathing

58
Q

What is Dyspnoea?

A

difficulty breathing

59
Q

What is Orthopnoea?

A

SOB when lying flat

60
Q

What is Hyperventilation?

A

abnormally rapid RR at rest

61
Q

What is Hypoventilation?

A

abnormally shallow and slow RR

62
Q

What are Cheyne Stokes?

A

alternate apnoea (15-60 secs) and hyperventilation

63
Q

What are Factors which affect respiration?

A 
Exercise 
• Acute pain 
• Anxiety 
• Smoking 
• Body position 
• Medications 
• Neurological injury 
• Haemoglobin function
64
Q

State normal ranges RR?

A

Adults; 12-20 breaths/minute

65
Q

What is oxygen saturation (pulse oximetry)?

A

Non-invasive device that measures oxygen saturation of haemoglobin (SpO2)
Uses spectrophotometry
• Normal range: 95-100%

MCQ Exam (9 decks)

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