Vital Signs Flashcards
vital signs
measurements of the body’s most basic functions.
What are the 4 main vital signs?
Pulse
Temp
Respiration rate
Blood pressure
Why are vital signs taken?
to help assess the general physical health of a person, give clues to possible diseases, show progress toward recovery
Normal ranges for vital signs
vary with age, weight, gender, and overall health
Pulse rate
key indicator of cardiovascular function
temperature
reflects inflammation or infection
respiration rate
key indicator of pulmonary function
Blood pressure
another key indicator of cardiovascular health
What forms the cornerstone of dx?
history and physical examination. Vital signs are considered to be the foundation of the physical exam
What does pulse measure?
the surge of arterial blood that occurs with each contraction of the heart muscle. Primarily indicates the force, rate, rhythm of the heartbeat
Where can pulse be taken?
- radial artery
- temporal artery
- carotid artery
Normal pulse rate
- 60-100bpm
- there are variations due to things such as exercise or being an athlete
tachycardia
pulse too fast
bradycardia
pulse too slow
causes of tachycardia
- inflammation
- symp stimulation or parasym inhibition
- meds
- cardiac abnormalities
tachycardia: inflammation
- causes fever
- for every degree increase, there is an increase of 10 bpm
tachycardia: symp stim/parasym inhibition
- fight or flight reaction
- systemic diseases (anemia, hyperthyroidism, tumors)
tachycardia: meds
- systemic (anit-depressants, diet pills, asthma meds, ritalin)
- ocular (phenylephrine, cyclopentolate)
tachycardia: cardiac abnormalities
MI
CHF
atrial fibrilation
causes of bradycardia
-parasymp stimulation or symp inhibition
-meds
cardiac abnormalities
bradycardia: symp inhibition/parasymp stimulation
systemic disease (hypothyroidism, etc)
bradycardia: meds
ocular: pilocarpine, B-blockers (timolol, etc)
bradycardia: cardiac abnormalities
various types of heart block
Pulse rhythm
- should be regular (occurring at set intervals)
- occasional premature beats are normal (skip a beat)
- frequent dysrhythmia require investigation
pulse force
should be fairly consistent without significant variation (as may occur with CHF, etc)
pulse quality
Should not be abnormally weak (difficult to detect)
What should you do if pulse is abnormal?
- recognize
- record
- address (refer to cardiologist)
blood pressure
measures vascular pressure during heartbeat and between heartbeats
Why be concerned about BP?
- silent killer
- has no symptoms
- pts may not go to other drs if they feel well
- HTN can be the cause of visual symptoms and/or ocular problems (blindness, double vision)
untreated HTN leads to…
- stroke
- MI
- kidney problems
- death
Normal BP
UNDER 120/80
preHTN
120-139 or 80-89
stage 1 HTN
140-159 or 90-99
stage 2 HTN
160 or high, or 100 or higher
HTN crisis
higher than 180, or higher than 110
What is normal BP for adult over 20
less than 120/80
BP changes
can change from minute to minute with changes in posture, exercise, stress, or sleep
HTN Dx
NOT diagnosed with a single high BP reading
How many people in US have HTN?
1/3
sphymomanometry
measuring BP
How to measure BP
- pt sits quietly for a min
- place right sized cuff around upper arm and inflate
- slowly deflate cuff and listen to brachial artery in antecubital space to listen for appearance/disappearance of sounds
- do not dx HTN after a single high BP reading!!
What to do when finding HTN
- recheck
- referral
referral of preHTN
PCP within 1-2 months
referral of stage 1 HTN
PCP within a month
referral of stage 2 HTN
PCP/cardiologist/ER immediately
referral of HTN crisis
911, transport via ambulance
respiration
refers to breathing: inspiration and expiration=one respiratory cycle
Normal resp rate for adults
12-18 breaths per min
respiration quality
- easy and regular
- labored and irregular is abnormal (dyspnea=shortness of breath)
abnormalities in respiration
-indicate systemic health problems
respiration rates in optometry
not routinely measured for in OD offices, but may have implications for eye care (which glaucoma meds to avoid in patients with COPD)
temperature
refers to the body’s internal temp
normal temp for adults
97.8-99 degrees
abnormal temps
fever and hypothermia
fever
when body temp rises about 1 degree or more over the normal temp of 98.6 degrees F
Hypothermia
drop in body temperature below 95 degrees F
temp in optometry
not routinely measured in optometry, but may have implications for eye care. (differentiation the cause of red eye)
