VITAL SIGNS Vital signs show an individual is

VITAL SIGNS

• Vital signs show an individual is alive. They include heart beat, breathing rate, temperature, and blood pressure. • These signs may be watched, measured, and monitored to check an individual's level of physical functioning. • Normal vital signs change with age, sex, weight, exercise tolerance, and condition.

Medical Abbreviation • Vital Signs – VS • VITAL SIGNS ARE VITAL!!!!

TEMPERATURE • “The balance between heat lost and heat produced by the body”

Continued……. • Heat is lost through perspiration, respiration, and excretion (urine and feces). • Heat is produced by the metabolism of food, and muscle and gland activity.

Homeostasis • HOMEOSTASIS- the ideal health state in the human body. • The rates of chemical reactions in the body are regulated by body temperature.

NORMAL RANGES • 97° to 100° Fahrenheit • 36. 1° to 37. 8° Celsius (sometimes called centigrade)

FACTORS That Increase Body Temperature • • • Illness Infection Exercise Excitement High temperatures in the environment

FACTORS that decrease body temperature • • • Starvation Fasting Sleep Decreased muscle activity Mouth breathing Exposure to cold temperatures in the environment

Temperature Variations by Body Site Oral 98. 6°F (37°C) Range 97. 6 - 99. 6°F 36. 5 -37. 5°C Rectal 99. 6°F (37. 6°C) Range 98. 6 -100. 6°F 37 -38. 1°C Axillary 97. 6° F (36. 4°C) Range 96. 6 -98. 6°F 36 -37°C

Hypothermia • A low body temperature below 95°F (35°C)

Hyperthermia • Occurs when the body temperature exceeds 104°F (40°C)

FEVER! • And elevated body temperature usually above 101°F (38. 3°C)

PULSE • Pulse – the pressure of the blood pushing against the wall of an artery as the heart beats and rests • The pulse is more easily felt in arteries that lie fairly close to the skin and can be pressed against a bone by the fingers.

Pulse Sites • • Temporal – At the side of the forehead Carotid – At the neck Brachial – Crease of the elbow Radial – Above thumb Femoral – the upper thigh Popliteal – Behind the knee Dorsalis Pedis – Top of the foot arch

Terms to know…. . • Bradycardia – A pulse rate under 60 beats per minute. • Tachycardia – A pulse rate over 100 beats per minute (except in children). • Arrhythmia – An irregular or abnormal rhythm, usually caused by a defect in the electrical conduction pattern of the heart.

Measuring and Recording Respiration • Respiration – the process of taking in oxygen and expelling carbon dioxide from the lungs and respiratory tract.

• Respirations can be counted by placing your hand on the upper chest to feel it rise and fall. • If you can hear the person breathing, count how many times he breathes in a minute. • Listen to hear if the person is breathing deep (slow) or shallow (fast). • Also write down anything you notice about the person's breathing, such as being regular or not regular and if there are sounds

Rates of Respiration • Adults – 14 to 18 breaths per minute • Children – 16 to 25 breaths per minute • Infants – 30 to 50 breaths per minute

Character and Rhythm • Character refers to the depth and quality of respirations. Words used to describe character include deep, shallow, labored, etc. • Rhythm refers to the regularity of respirations, or equal spacing between breaths. It is described as regular or irregular.

More terms to know…. • Dyspnea – Difficult or labored breathing • Apnea – Absence of respirations • Tachypnea – Respiratory rate above 25 resp. per minute. • Bradypnea – Slow respiratory rate below 10 resp. per minute. • Orthopnea – Breathing is difficult in positions other than sitting or standing

……. • Cheyne-Stokes Respirations – Periods of dyspnea followed by periods of apnea; frequently noted in the dying patient. • Rales – Bubbling or noisy sounds caused by fluids or mucus in the air passages.

BLOOD PRESSURE • Blood pressure is a measurement of the force applied to the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps blood through the body.

• The pressure is determined by the force and amount of blood pumped, and the size and flexibility of the arteries.

Equipment • Auscultatory method aneroid sphygmomanometer with stethoscope

Mercury manometer

How the Test is Performed • Blood pressure is usually measured while you are seated with your arm resting on a table. • Your arm should be slightly bent so that it is at the same level as your heart. • The upper arm should be bare, with your sleeve comfortably rolled up.

• The top number is the systolic blood pressure reading. It represents the maximum pressure exerted when the heart contracts. • The bottom number is the diastolic blood pressure reading. It represents the pressure in the arteries when the heart is at rest.

• wrap the blood pressure cuff snugly around your upper arm, positioning it so that the lower edge of the cuff is 1 inch above the bend of the elbow. • locate the large artery on the inside of the elbow by feeling for the pulse and will place the head of the stethoscope over this artery, below the cuff.

• close the valve on the rubber inflating bulb and then will squeeze it rapidly to inflate the cuff until the dial or column of mercury reads 30 mm. Hg higher than the usual systolic pressure.

• Next, the valve is opened slightly, allowing the pressure to fall gradually (2 to 3 mm. Hg per second). As the pressure falls, the level on the dial or mercury tube at which the pulsing is first heard is recorded. This is the systolic pressure

• As the air continues to be let out, the sounds will disappear. The point at which the sound disappears is recorded. This is the diastolic pressure (the lowest amount of pressure in the arteries as the heart rests).

Blood Pressure Readings • NORMAL ADULT 120/80 mm HG

• Blood pressure readings are measured in millimeters of mercury (mm. Hg) and usually given as 2 numbers. For example, 110 over 70 (written as 110/70).

Words to know • Hypotension-low blood pressure when values are less than 100 mm HG systolic and 70 mm HG diastolic • Hypertension-high blood pressure when values are greater than 140 mm HG systolic and 90 mm HG diastolic

Blood pressure readings may be affected by many different conditions, including: • • • Cardiovascular disorders Neurological conditions Kidney and urological disorders Pre-eclampsia in pregnant women Psychological factors such as stress, anger, or fear • Various medications • "White coat hypertension" may occur if the medical visit itself produces extreme anxiety

Medical Abbreviations • • • TPR BP T-temperature P-pulse R-respiration BP-blood pressure

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