Week 2: Vital Signs Intro + Temperature

Question 1

What is the definition of a vital sign?

Answer 1

• physiological understanding of how stable a patient is at a specific moment in time

Question 2

What are the five vital signs?

Answer 2

• blood pressure
• heart rate
• temperature
• respiratory rate
• SpO2

Question 3

Use the definition of pharmacology, Pathophysiology, and assessment to ask questions regarding vital signs.

Answer 3

1. Why does a patient have an abnormal vital sign? What is causing this to occur?
   - pathophysiology, disease process
2. How do we treat abnormal vital signs? pharmacology
3. In a patient who has a normal vital signs, how will this look, sound, and feel? Assessment

• what impact does having abnormal vital signs have on the body?

Question 4

Which of the vital signs reflect perfusion?

Answer 4

temp, pulse, blood pressure

Question 5

which of the vital signs reflect gas exchange?

Answer 5

Respirations and oxygen saturation

Question 6

which part of the

Question 7

which part of the brain access the thermostat for temperature?

Answer 7

Hypothalamus

Question 8

hyperthermia and hypothermia occur due to temperature. What is it, and what type of mechanism does it involve? Why does this occur?

Answer 8

Hypothermia - abnormally low body temp
Hyperthermia - abnormally high body temp
- thermoregulation
- environmental

Question 9

What does febrile mean? Afebrile?

Answer 9

febrile - feverish
afebrile - no fever

Question 10

when someone has a high temperature, it can be a sign of an infection. Why? (2)

Answer 10

• pyrexia (fever)
• when there is an infection, mechanisms in the body raise the set point, therefore increasing temperature

Question 11

what are common influences on true temperature? (6)

Answer 11

• infection
• inflammation
• Diurnal cycle (sleep/wake)
• menstrual cycle
• exercise
• age (Child/elder, resp. mechanisms do not work as well)

Question 12

what are two common interferences with accurate temperature measurement? How long should you wait before taking the temperature?

Answer 12

1. Recent smoking
   - oral, wait 2-5 min
2. Recent drinking/eating hot or cold
   - oral, wait 20 min

Question 13

what are the 6 inter-related concepts that thermoregulation effects?

Answer 13

2. intracranial regulation (hypothalamus)
3. Nutrition
4. Fluid and electrolytes
5. Tissue integrity
6. Perfusion
7. Infection

Question 14

what is a commonly used instrument to measure temperature?

Answer 14

Thermometer (diff. equipment for different routes)

Question 15

where on the body can you take a temperature? (6)

Answer 15

• oral
• rectal
• tympanic (ear)
• temporal (forehead)
• axilla
• skin

Question 16

what is the normal temperature range?

Answer 16

35.8-37.7 celsius

Question 17

What is the temperature range for hypothermia?

Answer 17

less tha 35.8 celsius

Question 18

What is the temperature range for hyperthermia?

Answer 18

greater than 38.5 celsius

Question 19

How do you document temperature?

Answer 19

T + route
ex. T 36.5C, oral