Vital signs Flashcards
Vital sign def
- measurements of the body’s most basic functions
- routinely monitored by medical professionals
- help assess the general physical health of a patient
- give clues to possible diagnosis
- normal ranges vary for age, weight, gender, and overall health
4 main vital signs
- pulse
- temp
- respiration rate
- blood pressure
Pulse rate
- measures the surge of arterial blood that occurs with each contraction of the heart muscle
- indicates force, rate, and rhythm
- measures quality of peripheral vascular perfusion
Where can you take pulse rate?
- radial artery
- temporal artery
- carotid artery
How is pulse characterized
- rate(number per minute)(rate is main thing but check others too)
- rhythm
- force
- quality
Normal pulse
-generally 60-100 beats per minute
-variation:
exercise-higher when exercising, athletes have lower resting pulse(54)
Causes of Tachycardia
- pulse too fast
- inflammation: for every 1 degree increase, increase 10 beats per minute
- Sympathetic stimulation of parasympathetic inhibition
- medications: anti depressants/ diet pills, phenyl and cyclo
- cardiac abnormalities: MI,CHF
Systemic diseases and tachycardia
Anemia: about 1% of of patients
Hyperthyroidism: 200,000 a year in US
Tumors: rare. overproduce hormones
Causes of Bradycardia
- pulse too slow
- parasympathetic stimulation of sympathetic inhibition
- Medications: pilocarpine, beta blockers, glaucoma meds
- Cardiac abnormalities: heart block
Systemic diseases and bradycardia
Hypothyroidism: lowers metabolism, not enough production of thyroxine hormone
Pulse rhythm
- should be regular(set intervals)
- occasional premature beats are normal
- frequent dysrhythmia needs investigation
Pulse force
- should be fairly consistent without variation
- CHF gives different forces
Pulse Quality
- should not be abnormally weak or difficult to detect
- force quality
What if you find something abnormal?
- recognize
- record
- address
Blood pressure
- measures vascular pressure during heartbeat and between heartbeats
- during is higher than in between
- recorded in millimeters of mercury
Systolic pressure
- numerator
- during heart beat
- should be higher
Diastolic pressure
- denominator
- in between beat
- should be lower
- at rest
Why take blood pressure?
-hypertension is asymptomatic and known as the silent killer
-patients might not go to the doctor, only you
-can cause systemic and ocular disease and death
-can cause ocular problems(blindness, lack of blood supply to optic nerve)
-untreated can lead to:
stroke
heart attack
kidney problems
death
Normal blood pressure
- UNDER 120 AND UNDER 80
- if one is under but on is above, still abnormal
- NOT 120/80
Things to know about blood pressure
- it can change from minute to minute due to posture, exercise, stress, sleep
- hypertension is NOT diagnosed with one reading
- normal is UNDER for people 20 and older
- ONE IN THREE US ADULTS HAS HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
Sphygmomanometry
- measure Bp
- let patient sit for a hot minute
- cuff should be 1-2 inches larger than patient’s arm
- put stethoscope on brachial artery in antecubital space
- listen to appearance and disappearance of sounds
how BP?
- pump up way past where it should be
- first time you hear beat is systolic
- release until you hear last beat(diastolic)
Abnormal BP protocal?
prehypertension: refer to PCP within 1-2 months
- Hypertension: stage 1-PCP in one month, stage 2-PCP or ER immediately
- Hypertensive crises: call ER
-just general, like you can get your own thing when you’re a real person
Respiration
- breathing:inspiration and expiration=one respiratory cycle
- normal is 12-18 breaths per min
- should be easy and regular
- usually not measured in OD, but certain implication can apply
Dyspnea
- labored and irregular respiration
- shortness of breath
Temperature
- body’s internal temperature
- 97.8-99 degrees
- not routinely measured in OD, but cellulitis
Fever
-body temp rises ONE degree or more over 98.6F
Hypothermia
-a drop in body temp below 95 degrees F
Abnormal pulse means…
-heart cannot function properly and requires further evaluation
Abnormal BP means…
- may cause ocular/systemic problems
- ESSENTIAL eye doctors know to use it
