Vital Signs
Body's most basic functions
Vital Signs
-Measurements of the body's most basic functions. The three
main vital
signs routinely monitored by healthcare providers include body
temperature, pulse rate and respiration rate.
Vital Signs include:
Temperature
Pulse
Respirations
Blood Pressure (we will not discuss indepth in this class)
Let's start by discussing Temperature:
Temperature
-Refers to the
temperature inside the body or the core body heat. Temperature may
be measured in the following ways:
Oral - mouth (under tongue)
normal range: 96.0F - 100.0F
most common for adults and older
children
thermometer is placed under tongue
if patient has recently had
anything to eat or drink , need to wait 10 - 20 minutes
patient must
keep mouth closed entire time
should not be used on a patient who is
having difficulty breathing
Blue probe = Oral
Axillary - armpit
least accurate way to measure temperature
usually is one degree less than a person's oral temperature
Example: If oral is 98.6F, axillary will be 97.6F Rectal - rectum
measures core body temperature
most accurate way to measure
temperature
usually is one degree higher than a person's oral
temperature Red probe = Rectal
MY PUZZLES
Example: If oral is 98.6F, rectal will be 99.6F
Tympanic - ear
quickest way to take temperature
Nearly as accurate as rectal route Temporal - Forehead
Newest method
Probe is run across (or held over) forehead
Now it's time to think: Abnormal temperatures:
Febrile, fever, hyperthermia - temperatures that are elevated.
temperature is one that is greater than 101 F. What do you think
to decrease the temperature? What symptoms might a person hav
febrile?
Hypothermia - temperature that is below normal. A low
is anything that is below 96 F. What do you think you might do to
temperature? What symptoms might a person have if they have h
How might the following effect your body temperature?
Activity?
Infections?
Drugs?
Any others you can think of?
If you're ahead or interested in learning more, tell me a little bit about Circ
In class, we will be using digital thermometers. Below are the steps you wil
obtaining a partner's (of the same gender) temperature.
• Obtain one of the digital thermometers to take an ORAL tempera
• Place a thermometer probe cover over the thermometer. Do not
will break the probe. (Yes, I am aware a couple are broken. W
that were forced prior to your class. They will still work.) • If you are obtaining an oral temperature, think about the probe y
choose. Should it be blue or red? If you are unsure, you must
• Once you are sure which probe to use, you will place the thermo
the tongue. • Ensure your partner has his/her lips closed. • Now, wait for about 3 minutes. Hum the Jeopardy theme song in
tap your feet, watch the numbers rise, and wait patiently (and
Anytime now... • BEEP! Your results are in when you've heard the beep. Be sure t
your results. Pulse
- Measures how fast the heart is beating. Each time the heart beat
in the body expand and contract, forcing blood through the system
beats you feel.
- Measured in BPM or beats per minute
- Usually measured at rest
Pulse sites (or places you can feel the
radial - thumb side of wrist, most commonly used
brachial - used for
obtaining pulse in infants; taking blood pressures apical - obtained by
using a stethoscope and listening to the heart beat (most
accurate)
carotid - both sides of neck, used for CPR
popliteal - behind
the knee
temporal - Forehead
femoral - deep inside the upper thigh
pedal
pulses - used to assess circulation in the lower extremities
Find the radial pulse on yourself by:
•
Locate the little "ridge" or "indention" underneath your thumb with
the first two fingers of your other hand. (Do NOT use your thumb
because it has a pulse point which you might feel instead!) •
Wait patiently. If you do not feel a little beat, move your fingers a
little up or down. You will be able to feel it. Pulse Rates:
The adult pulse rate is between 60-100 beats per
minute
tachycardia - rapid heart rate, over 100 beats per minute
bradycardia - slow heart rate, less than 60 beats per minute Rhythm
and force of the pulse
rhythm - time interval between each beat.
Rhythm should be regular.
irregular pulse - beats are not evenly spaced or when beats are skipped
force - relates to pulse strength
When you are feeling the pulse, ask yourself a few
questions:
 Could I play GOOD music to this? If not, it is irregular
and needs to be counted for a full minute.  Is it so faint I can't feel it? If it is, check your positioning.
If you still don't feel it, a doctor would need to be
notified STAT.  Is it beating so hard that I can see it beating through the
skin? Again, a doctor would need to be notified STAT.  How fast or slow is it? Count how many beats you feel. Critical thinking time!
 What might cause the pulse to increase?
 What might cause the pulse to decrease?
 How might circadian rhythm affect pulse?
Now, let's learn the steps so we can practice with our
partner. We will be checking the radial pulse. How do I
measure pulse?
1. Using the technique you just learned, place your 2 front
fingers on your partner's wrist just below the thumb. 2. If the pulse has a regular beat to it, count for 30 seconds.
(If the beat is irregular, count for a full minute or 60
seconds). 3. Once the 30 seconds are complete, you will multiply this
number x2. 4. Document your pulse. For example:
My partner's pulse was regular, so I counted for 30 seconds.
After counting their radial pulse for 30 seconds, I counted 40
beats. To get a
counting their radial pulse for 30 seconds, I counted 40
beats. To get a
full minute (or 60 second) reading, I multiplied x2. The person's BPM
OR
My partner's pulse was irregular, so I counted for 60 seconds. After co
pulse for 60 seconds (or one full minute), the number I had was 90. Th
person's BPM = 90.
Respirations
- The amount of times a person breathes (inhales and exhales) in one
Normal Respiration Rate:
12-20 respirations per minute (Eupnea)
Respiration rates:
Tachypnea - Rapid breathing; What symptoms might you see with tac
Bradypnea - Slow breathing; What symptoms might you see with brad
Critical thinking:
What might cause someone to breathe rapidly?
What might cause someone to breathe slowly?
How might circadian rhythm affect respirations?
It is very important that your partner does not know you are assessin
do you think this is important?
There is only one way to measure respirations, so we will practice wit
Sit in front of your partner and stare at them. You can watch their che
Count how many times the partner's chest rises and falls in one minut
is irregular. If it is regular, you may count for 30 seconds and multiply
unclear how this works, refer back to Pulse) Document your respirations. When you document, it should look something like this:
98.6 - 70 - 18 T-P-R
If you document this way, you will not be required to label the numbe
Now, you know how to measure vital signs, and you can practice with
the same gender).