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Vital Signs (Signs of Life)
•Temperature•Pulse
•Respirations•Oxygen Concentration
•Pupils•Blood Pressure
TEMPERATURE
•afebrile ▫a = without, febrile = fever
• hypothermia▫Below 950 F
•pyrexia▫Above normal temperature
•pyrogenic▫Anything that causes fever
Types of Thermometers•Aural (ear)•Temporal Artery (forehead)•Chemically Treated Paper or Plastic•Electronic/Digital Thermometer
Sites to Take Body Temperature•Oral: mouth
▫Simple and most common, convenient, and comfortable site. Ranges from 97.60 to 99.60
•Rectal: above the anus▫Used on young patients or those who mouth
breathe. Most accurate. Ranges from 98.60 to 100.60
•Aural: ear canal▫Accurate, easy to use. Normal is 98.60
•Axillary: armpit▫Least accurate. Normal range is 96.60 to 98.60
Use this site if the first three are not available.
PULSE•Definition = pressure of the blood on the walls
of arteries as the heart contracts and relaxes•Throbbing pattern; indicates how well the
blood is circulating around the body• Measured in beats per minute (bpm)•Count for 15 seconds and multiply by 4 = 60
seconds•Count for 30 seconds and multiply by 2 = 60
seconds
PULSE CHARACTERISTICS•Rate: number of beats per minute
▫Normal 60-100 beats per minute▫Over 100 = tachycardia▫Under 60 = bradycardia
•Rhythm: regularity of beats▫steady or uneven?▫irregular pulse = arrhythmia
•Volume: strength of pulse ▫bounding = forceful▫thready = weak
RESPIRATIONS
•Taking oxygen (O2) into the body▫Inhale, inspiration, breathing in
•Expelling carbon dioxide (CO2) out of the body▫Exhale, expiration, breathing out
• 1 breath in + 1 breath out = 1 respiration
•Watch the chest rise and fall.•*Do not let the patient know that you are
measuring his/her respiratory rate or they may not breathe normally.
RESPIRATORY CHARACTERISTICS
•Rate = number per minute▫Normal is 12-20 per minute
•Rhythm = regularity of breathing•Quality = amount of air exchanged and
effort it takes to breathe
RESPIRATORY CHARACTERISTICS
•Dyspnea▫shortness of breath, difficulty breathing
•Tachypnea ▫abnormally fast breathing
•Apnea ▫no breathing present
•Cheyne-Stokes ▫labored breathing followed by apnea
•Rales ▫bubbling or rattling sounds
OXYGEN CONCENTRATION•Pulse oximeter = measures oxygen in
arteries by passing infrared light through vascular bed▫Fingertip, ear lobe, bridge of nose, or toe
•Indicator of respiratory and cardiac condition▫Normal is 95 – 100% oxygen▫Below 90% calls for oxygen treatment
PUPILS
Pupil size can change from 2 millimeters to 8 millimeters. This means that by changing the size of the pupil, the eye can change the amount of light that enters it by 30 times.
P.E.A.R.L.
PUPIL SIZEGlaucoma: mid-dilated pupil may be a signAneurysm: dilated pupilBrain tumor: problems within the pupilRecreational drug use: dilated or constrictedMedications: dilated pupils Head trauma: unequal pupils Cluster headaches: constricted pupil Stroke: changes in the sizeSyphilis: small, unequal, misshapen pupils that constrict with near focusing but do not react normally to light