Vital Signs Flashcards
Normal breath ranges for adult?
12-20 breaths/min
Normal temp ranges for adult?
96.7-100.5 F (35.9-38 C)
Normal pulse range for adult?
60-100/min
What are the four vital signs?
Temp, pulse, respirations, BP
How does heat loss occur?
Primarily thru the skin, others include sweat evaporation, warming/humidify inch inspired air, and thru urinating and defecating
Define afebrile
Norm temp (w/o fever)
What does a fever indicate?
Increased immune fxn + inflammation
At what temperature does a fever become a medical emergency?
106°F
What are some temperature rising mechanisms?
Shivering, piloerection, vasoconstriction, increased metabolism
When a patient is taking medication to alter heart rates and rhythm, what site should the pulse be taken at?
Apical
When a falsely low blood pressure is read, what action could the nurse have done to contribute to this?
Either the nurse performed the assessment in a noisy environment, the nurse misplaced the bell beyond the direct area of the artery, or the nurse failed to pump the cuff above the disappearing pulse.
If a nurse is assessing the apical pulse of a patient using auscultation, what action should the nurse perform after the placing a diaphragm over the apex of the heart?
Listen for heart sounds for one minute, each lub dub sound counts as one beat.
If the nurse applies the cuff of an automated blood pressure device to the clients arm for serial blood pressure recordings, why does the nurse check the cuff frequently?
To ensure adequate arterial perfusion
Which site is the most ideal for obtaining a patient’s core body temperature?
Rectum
