Vital Signs Flashcards
What are “vital signs”?
Vital signs are measurements of the body’s most basic functions. The four main vital signs routinely monitored by medical professionals and health care providers include the following:
- Pulse
- Temperature
- Respiration rate
- Blood Pressure
Why use vital signs?
- Vital signs are used to measure the body’s basic functions.
- These measurements are taken to help assess the general physical health of a person, give clues to possible diseases, and show progress toward recovery.
- The normal ranges for a person’s vital signs vary with age, weight, gender, and overall health.
What does the pulse rate indicate?
Pulse rate is a key indicator of cardiovascular function.
What does temperature indicate?
Temperature reflects inflammation or infection.
What does the respiration rate indicate?
Respiration rate is a key indicator of pulmonary function.
What does blood pressure indicate?
Blood Pressure is another key indicator of cardiovascular function.
What does the pulse rate measure?
Pulse rate measures the surge of arterial blood that occurs with each contraction of the heart muscle.
- Primarily indicates the force, rate, and rhythm of the heartbeat
- Also measures the quality of peripheral vascular perfusion
- Can be taken at a variety of locations
- radial artery
- temporal artery
- carotid artery
How is pulse measurement characterized?
- Rate (number of pulses per minute)
- Rhythm
- Force
- Quality
What is a normal pulse rate?
Normal is generally considered 60-100 beats per minute.
Variation in normal rates (e.g. exercise and athletes)
What are the names of abnormal pulse rates and what do they mean?
Abnormal pulse rates:
Tachycardia = too fast
Bradycardia = too slow
What causes tachycardia?
- Inflammation
• Fever: for every 1° increase ≈ ↑ten beats per minute - Sympathetic stimulation or Parasympathetic inhibition
• Fight-or-flight reaction
• Systemic diseases (anemia, hyperthyroidism, tumors…) - Medications
• Systemic: anti-depressants, diet pills, asthma meds, Ritalin…
• Ocular: phenylephrine, cyclopentolate… - Cardiac abnormalities (MI, CHF, atrial fibrillation)
What causes bradycardia?
- Parasympathetic stimulation or Sympathetic inhibition
• Systemic diseases; hypothyroidism, etc. - Medications
• Ocular: Pilocarpine, β-blockers (Timolol, etc.) - Cardiac abnormalities
• various types of heart block
What should rhythm be like in a pulse?
Rhythm should be regular (occurring at set intervals)
• occasional premature beats are normal (appears to “skip a beat”).
• frequent dysrhythmia requires investigation
What should the pulse’s force be like?
Force should be fairly consistent without significant variation (as may occur with CHF, etc.)
What should the quality be like in a pulse?
Quality should not be abnormally weak (difficult to detect).
What does blood pressure measure?
Measures vascular pressure during heartbeat and between heartbeats.
What does systolic and diastolic mean?
Systolic pressure = higher P during heartbeat
Diastolic pressure = lower P when heart at rest
Why should optometrists be concerned about blood pressure?
• High blood pressure (or hypertension) is known as the “silent killer” because it often has no symptoms.
• Patients may not go to other doctors if they feel well.
• Untreated hypertension may lead to:
Stroke
Heart attack
Kidney problems
Death
• Hypertension can be the cause of visual symptoms and/or ocular problems (including blindness)
What is normal blood pressure?
Under 120 and under 80
What are the steps to measure blood pressure?
- Allow patient to sit quietly before measuring
- Place cuff of appropriate size around bared upper arm and inflate
- Slowly deflate cuff while using stethoscope on brachial artery in antecubital space to listen for appearance/disappearance of sounds
- Remember, a single high reading does not diagnose high blood pressure (hypertension)!
What do we do about abnormal readings?
- Re-check any abnormal finding • Prehypertension may be referred to PCP or re-evaluated within a month or two.
- Hypertension should be referred appropriately:
- Stage 1 should be referred to PCP within a month.
- Stage 2 should be referred immediately (PCP, cardiologist, or ER).
- Hypertensive crisis is an emergency (call 911 or ER and arrange transport via ambulance).
What is respiration?
Refers to breathing: inspiration & expiration = one respiratory cycle.
What is the normal respiration rate?
Normal rate for adults is 12-18 breaths per minute.
How is respiration quality assessed?
- Quality can also be assessed:
- should be easy & regular
- labored & irregular is abnormal; Dyspnea = “shortness or breath”
- Abnormalities in rate or quality may indicate systemic health problems
- Not routinely measured in OD offices, but may have implications for eye care (e.g., which glaucoma meds to avoid in patients with COPD)
What is normal body temperature in an adult?
Normal for adults is 97.8 - 99 degrees F (or Fahrenheit)
What are two types of temperature abnormalities?
Body temperature may be abnormal due to fever (high temperature) or hypothermia (low temperature).
What is a fever?
A fever is when body temperature rises about one degree or more over the normal temperature of 98.6 degrees F (according to the American Academy of Family Physicians).
What is hypothermia?
Hypothermia is defined as a drop in body temperature below 95 degrees Fahrenheit.
Temperature is not routinely measured in OD offices, but may have implications for eye care such as _____.
(e.g., differentiating the cause of a red eye)
