Vital Signs 3

Question 1

What does a high glucose level in diabetic patient indicate?

Answer 1

a diabetic patient has an infection

Question 2

What does a low blood pressure and high heart rate but normal temperature indicate?

Answer 2

Internal bleeding

Question 3

What does a low blood pressure and high heart rate but high temperature indicate?

Answer 3

Infection

Question 4

What does a low blood pressure and high heart rate, high temperature, stiff neck and positive Kernig’s sign indicate?

Answer 4

Meningitis

Question 5

If sugar is present in urine what does this indicate?

Answer 5

Diabetes mellitus - The excess blood glucose levels of people with unmanaged diabetes make it difficult for your kidneys to properly reabsorb the glucose and cause it to leak into the urine

Question 6

What does LEU stand for on a dipstick?

Answer 6

Leukocytes (WBC’s)

Question 7

How should you asses vision in the Glasgow Coma Scale?

Answer 7

4 - Spontaneous eye opening (no stimulus required)
3 - Opens eye to verbal command
2 - Open eyes to pressure (press on finger then eyelid)
1 - Never open

Question 8

How should you asses verbal response in the Glasgow Coma Scale?

Answer 8

5 - Orientated and converses (ask name, day, where you are)
4 - Disorientated but converses (confused)
3 - Uses inappropriate words
2 - Incomprehensible sounds
1 - No verbal response

Question 9

How should you asses motor response in the Glasgow Coma Scale?

Answer 9

6 - Obeys verbal command (Can you take my hand and squeeze my fingers?0
5 - Localises pain - Holds area that they have pain in or area you apply trapezium pinch or supraorbital notch if no facial injuries
- If patient fails to localise pain apply a pen against nail to asses a response
4 - Normal flexion to pain (arm moves towards. body)
3 - Abnormal flexion to pain - (arm moves posteriorly towards back or behind neck)
2 - Extension to pain
1 - No motor response

Question 10

What fews score do you give for each section that has a white, yellow, amber or red box?

Answer 10

white - 0
yellow - 1
amber - 2
red - 3

Question 11

A NEWS/FEWS score of between 0-2, 3+ requires how frequent an observation ?

Answer 11

0-2 - Daily observation

3+ - Hourly observation

Question 12

When NEWS/FEWS score is greater than 7 what must be done ?

Answer 12

Consultant must be informed immediately in morning that patients condition is deteriorating

Question 13

What is Fi02?

Answer 13

Fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2) is the fraction of oxygen in the volume being measured. Medical patients experiencing difficulty breathing are provided with oxygen-enriched air, which means a higher-than-atmospheric FiO2.

Question 14

What should always take priority before GCS?

Answer 14

Primary survey - ABC

Question 15

What is hypotension

Answer 15

Low blood pressure

Question 16

What is tachycardia ?

Answer 16

Fast/high heart rate

Question 17

What is tachypnoea?

Answer 17

Abnormally rapid breathing

Question 18

What should happen with a low NEWS/FEWS score?

Answer 18

Increased frequency of observations and nurse in charge alerted

Question 19

What should happen with a medium NEWS/FEWS score?

Answer 19

• Urgent call to team with primary medical responsibility for patient
• Simultaneous call to personnel with core competencies for acute illness e.g - in critical care outreach team, a hospital-at-night team or specialist trainee in an acute medical or surgical speciality

Question 20

What should happen with a high NEWS/FEWS score?

Answer 20

• Emergency call to team with critical care competencies and diagnostic skills
• There should be an immediate response