Vital Signs Flashcards
What is normal oral temperature?
35.8 - 37.5
What is Thermoregulation?
The feedback mechanism used by the hypothalamus of the brain to regulate body temperature
What is conduction?
Heat transfer from object with higher temperature to object with lower temperature
What is responsible for 3% of body heat loss?
Direct contact with solids, liquids and gas
What brings body temp up?
Warm bath
Hot pack
Clothes/blankets
What brings body temp down?
Cold pack
Contact with cool surface/water
What is convection?
Transfer of heat by fluid (air, water, gas) current movement (responsible for 15% body heat loss)
What brings body temp up (convection)?
Hair dryer
Forced air warming blankets
What brings body temp down convection)?
Wind chill
What does the hypothalamus do?
Senses blood temperature and balances heat production with heat loss
What does bodily heat loss mechanisms (negative feedback) do?
Redistribute surface blood flow, cause vasodilation and/or sweating
What does heat conservation mechanisms (negative feedback) do?
Increase cell metabolism, cause vasoconstriction, shivering, hair erection (goose bumps)
What are factors that affect body temperature?
Age Exercise Hormone level Circadian rhythm Stress Environment Fever Non-febrile diseases
How to take a oral temperature?
Base of tongue to right/left frenulum
Lips closed, avoid biting
Allow 15 min following consumed hot/cold beverages
How to take a axillary temp?
Place the thermometer in middle of axilla
Leave glass thermometer in place for 5 mins
Placement affects reading
How to take a tympanic temp?
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
How to take a rectal (don gloves) temp?
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
What is hypothetmia?
A decrease in body temperature due to the inability if the body to produce heat usually caused by prolonged exposure to cold
What are the symptoms of hypothermia?
Sleepiness and coma
Locally frostbite
Arrhythmia/cardiac arrest/ death after 20-30 min exposure
What is hyperthermia?
An elevated body temp, related to the inability of the body to promote heat loss or reduce heat production
What are the symptoms of hyperthermia?
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
What is the normal rectal temp?
36.2-38
To where does the heart circulate blood?
To all body tissues via arterial blood vessels
What does each heart beat create?
A pressure wave (pulse) throughout the length of the vascular bed
Where is the pulse palpated?
At body sites where an artery lies close to the skin and over a bone
What is the pulse rate?
The number of pulsating sensations occurring in 1 minute
What is the cardiac output?
The volume if blood pumped by the heart (stroke volume-SV) during 1 minute
What are the most common sites
to palpate the pulse?
Radial and carotid arteries
How do you take a pulse?
Use the pads of first 3 fingers
• Apply moderate pressure
• Count for 60 seconds
What is the rate in obs?
Number of beats per
minute (bpm)
What is Bradycardia?
<60 bpm
What is Tachycardia?
> 100 bpm
What is rhythm in pulse?
Pattern of beats and intervals Regular • Irregular e.g. dysrythmia/arrythmia • Thready/bounding
What is the strength/amplitude in pulse?
- Force of the blood with each beat • Normal pulse can be felt with moderate pressure, occluded with heavy pressure • Strong/Weak
What are the normal pulse ranges?
Infant- 120-160bpm
• Child- 75-100bpm
• Adult- 60-100bpm
What are the Factors which affect the
pulse?
Age • Gender • Exercise • Fever (body temperature) • Medication • Hypovolaemia • Stress • Positional changes • Pathology • Pregnancy
When do you record a pulse rate?
– 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
What is blood pressure?
the lateral force on the walls of an artery from the blood pulsing under pressure from the heart
What is diastolic pressure?
- the resting pressure between each heart beat
What is systolic pressure?
the maximum pressure within an artery
when ejection occurs
What is Systemic vascular resistance (SVR)?
resistance to blood flow within the systemic vasculature
SVR= BP
CO
What is Pulse pressure (PP)?
- the difference between the highest and the lowest level of blood pressure
PP= systolic pressure– diastolic pressure
What is Mean arterial pressure (MAP)?
the average pressure in the
arteries during a cardiac cycle
MAP= diastolic + 1/3 PP
What is a direct measure of blood pressure?
arterial cannula connected to a transducer
What is a indirect measurement of blood pressure?
Dinamap or sphygmomanometer
What are the Factors which affect BP?
– Age – Gender – Stress – Race – Medications – Obesity – Diurnal variation – Exercise – Patient’s position – Pain – Cardiovascular disease
What are the normal ranges of blood pressure?
Normal ranges Systolic: 100-140mmHg Diastolic: 60- 80mmHg • Hypertension Diastolic >80mmHg Systolic >140mmHg • Hypotension Systolic <100 mmHg
What is ventilation?
movement of gases into and out of the lungs
What is respiration?
mechanism the body uses to exchange gases between the atmosphere, blood and cells
What is diffusion?
movement of oxygen (O2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) between the lung alveoli and red blood cells
What is hypoxia?
insufficient levels of arterial O2
What is Hypoxeamia?
abnormally low levels of arterial O2
What is Hypercapnoea?
abnormally high levels of arterial CO2
What is Respiratory failure?
respiratory system is unable to supply necessary oxygen
or cannot eliminate carbon dioxide (CO2)
How do you measure respiratory rate?
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
What is Bradypnoea?
RR <12
What is Tachypnoea?
RR >20
What is Apnoea?
cessation of breathing
What is Dyspnoea?
difficulty breathing
What is Orthopnoea?
SOB when lying flat
What is Hyperventilation?
abnormally rapid RR at rest
What is Hypoventilation?
abnormally shallow and slow RR
What are Cheyne Stokes?
alternate apnoea (15-60 secs) and hyperventilation
What are Factors which affect respiration?
Exercise • Acute pain • Anxiety • Smoking • Body position • Medications • Neurological injury • Haemoglobin function
State normal ranges RR?
Adults; 12-20 breaths/minute
What is oxygen saturation (pulse oximetry)?
Non-invasive device that measures oxygen saturation of haemoglobin (SpO2)
Uses spectrophotometry
• Normal range: 95-100%