Week 1 Flashcards
Vital Signs consist of…
- BP
- HR
- RR
- Temp
- Pain
hypotension
Compare to previous readings or baseline and current clinical picture
Orthostatic Hypotension
- Drop in BP noted when patient moves from lying to standing position
- Drop in systolic of at least 20 mm Hg•Drop in diastolic of at least 10 mm Hg
Weak or inaudible Korotkoff sounds
- Check placement of stethoscope
- Consider possibility of shock
Arrhythmias
-Verify findings with ECG
The obese or very thin patient
-Make sure to correct size cuff
hypertension
White coat hypertension
-Try to relax patient and re-measure later during visit
Hypertensive patient with unequal blood pressure in the arms and legs
-Compare BP in arms and legs.
-Compare volume and timing of radial and femoral pulses.
-Coarctation (narrowing) of the aorta and occlusive aortic disease
=Hypertension in upper extremities
=Low blood pressure in legs
=Diminished or delayed femoral pulses
heart rate
Commonly use radial pulse
If rhythm appears regular and rate normal, count for 30 seconds and multiply by 2. If abnormal count for full 60 seconds
-Normal range for adults: 60 to 100 beats per minute
heart rate- rhythm
Regular or Irregular
- If irregularity noted, assess apical pulse
- Regularly irregular or irregularly irregular
Compare to breathing
ECGs should be checked to assess irregular rhythms
respiratory rate
Observe without letting patient know:
- Rate
- Rhythm
- Depth
- Effort of breathing
Normal adult: 12-20 breaths per minute
temperature
Fluctuates throughout the day
Average temperature depends on method used
-Oral: 37°C (98.6°F)
=Not recommended for unconscious or restless patients
-Rectal: 37.4°C to 37.5°C (99.3°F to 99.5°F)
=Most accurate; Core temperature
- Axillary: 36°C (97.6°F)
- Temporal: 36°C (97.6°F)
abnormal temperature readings
Hyperpyrexia: >41.1°C (106°F)
Hypothermia: <35°C (95°F) rectally
Chills
-Feeling cold, shivering
Night sweats
- Feeling hot and sweating accompanied by falling temperature
- Occurs with tuberculosis and malignancy
pain
- One of the most common symptoms
- Often under-assessed and under-treated
Acute pain
-Occurs suddenly with recent injury or illness
Chronic pain
- Pain that persists for more than 3 to 6 months
- Recurring at intervals of months or years
types of pain
Nociceptive (pins and needles) or somatic (cramping) pain
-Related to tissue damage
Neuropathic pain
-Related to direct injury to peripheral nervous system or central nervous syste
Psychogenic and idiopathic pain
- Psychogenic refers to many factors that influence patient’s report of pain
- Idiopathic is pain without identifiable etiology
sensitivity vs. specificity
sensitivity: ability of a test to correctly identify patients with a disease
specificity: ability of a test to correctly identify people without a disease
