Vitals and Measurements (Part 1) Flashcards
What are the vital signs?
- temperature
- pulse
- respirations
- blood pressure
- pain assessment
What are the body measurements?
- height
- weight
- head circumference
What does febrile mean?
fever (greater than 100.5)
- sign of inflammation or infection
What is afebrile?
normal temperature (98.6-99.1F)
What is pyrexia?
fever
What is hyperpyrexia?
extremely high temperature
What are the different ways to measure temperature?
- orally
- aurally (ear)
- temporally
- axillary
- rectally
Which thermometer is the least accurate? What is the usual reading?
axillary (under arm)
- normal is 97.6
What is the most accurate thermometer reading? What’s the normal reading?
rectally
- normal: 99.6
How do you properly measure tympanic temperatures in an adult? In a child?
Adult: pull ear up and back
Child: pull ear down and back
What is the normal pulse range?
60-100 bpm
What is tachycardia?
fast heart rate
- > 100 bpm
What is bradycardia?
slow heart rate
- < 60 bpm
How do we manually measure pulse?
2 fingers at radial artery
- count for 1 minute
- or count for 30 seconds and multiply by 2 if pulse is regular
What is apical pulse?
method used to obtain pulse in an infant with a stethoscope
Where is the apex?
5th intercostal space between ribs on the left side of the sternum
What are some major pulse points?
- superficial temporal artery
- common carotid artery
- brachial artery
- femoral artery
- popliteal artery
- posterior tibial artery
What is respiratory rate?
indication of how well the body provides oxygen to the tissues
- one respiration = 1 inhalation and 1 exhalation
What is normal respiratory rate in adults?
12-20 respirations per minute
How should you check respiration?
watch chest rise and fall SUBTLY
- can use stethoscope
- count for one full minute
- determine quality of effort
- wheezing, rales, rhonchi?
What is dyspnea?
difficult or painful breathing
What is tachypnea?
rapid breathing
What is bradypnea?
slow breathing
What is hyperpnea?
abnormally rapid or labored breathing
What is rales?
crackling sounds = fluid in the lungs
- pneumonia
- collapse of part or all of a lung
- pulmonary edema
What is rhonchi?
- deep rattling
- partial obstruction of airway
- asthma, acute bronchitis
What is apnea?
period of breathing cessation
- periods of increasing and decreasing depth of respiration between periods of apnea
What are the 2 pressure measurements?
- systolic pressure: top number (when left ventricle contracts)
- diastolic pressure: bottom number (when heart relaxes, minimum pressure exerted against the artery walls at all times)
What is normal blood pressure?
less than 120/80
What is the range for prehypertension?
120-139 mmHg systolic
80-89 mmHg diastolic
What is the range for hypertension?
140/90 mmHg or more
What are the 2 classifications of hypertension?
- essential: no identifiable cause; 95% of all hypertension
- secondary: result of some other condition like kidney or heart disease
What is blood pressure?
force at which blood is pumped against the walls of the arteries
What is a sphygmomanometer?
blood pressure cuff and dial
- aneroid
- electronic
What is an aneroid sphygmomanometer?
circular gauge for registering pressure
- each line = 2 mmHg
- need stethoscope and calibration
What is an electric sphygmomanometer?
- digital screen
- easy to use
- costly but less accurate
What is the purpose of a stethoscope?
amplifies body sounds
Where should the cuff of the stethoscope be wrapped?
above the brachial pulse point
What are the 5 phases of Korotkoff sounds?
1 - tapping sound; systolic pressure
2 - change to softer swishing sound
3 - resumption of a crisp tapping sound
4- sound becomes muffled
5 - sound disappears; diastolic pressure
When can you be classified as normal reading?
Must be 2 consistent readings
How can we get 2 consistent readings for blood pressure?
- allow patients to relax
- not crossed feet
Which arm should you avoid measurement in?
- arm on the same side as a mastectomy
- arm with an injury or blocked artery
- arm with an implanted device under the skin
What happens if the cuff is too small?
artificially elevated blood pressure
What happens if the cuff is too big?
artificially low bleed pressure
What should we do if patient got a double mastectomy?
take femoral pulse
