Date post: | 18-Jan-2016 |
Category: |
Documents |
Upload: | daniella-fisher |
View: | 212 times |
Download: | 0 times |
Copyright 2003 by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.
Vital Signs
Copyright 2003 by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.
Vital Signs
• Values used to measure changes in body function, general health, and response to treatment
• Include blood pressure (BP) and temperature, pulse, and respiration (TPR) and level of pain
• Affected by many factors: age, activity, nutrition, emotion, fitness, medication, and illness
Copyright 2003 by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.
Assessing Vital Signs
• Once a day (daily)• Twice a day (bid)• Three times a day (tid)• Four times a day (qid)• Every 4 hours (q4h)• Every 15 minutes (q15min)
Copyright 2003 by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.
Blood Pressure
• Measurement of the force of the blood against the walls of the arteries as it circulates through the body
• Maximum pressure at which the pulse can be heard is systolic
• Minimum pressure at which it is audible is diastolic
Copyright 2003 by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.
Instruments for Taking Blood Pressure
• Stethoscope amplifies the sound • Sphygmomanometer is an
inflatable cuff that measures pressure using air (aneroid) or mercury
Copyright 2003 by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.
Figure 6-1 Sphygmomanometer and
Stethoscope
Copyright 2003 by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.
Temperature
• The measurement of the balance between the heat produced and lost by the body
• Four methods commonly used to measure temperature– Mouth (oral)– Armpit (axillary)– Rectum (rectal)– Ear (temporal)
Copyright 2003 by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.
Table 6-1 Temperature
Copyright 2003 by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.
Types of Thermometers
• Glass with an expandable mercury filling– Expandable mercury filling– Oral– Rectal
• Electronic • Disposable chemical thermometers
Copyright 2003 by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.
Pulse
• Pulse is the heartbeat that can be felt, or palpated, on surface arteries as the artery walls expand
• The pulse is usually assessed using the radial artery near the wrist
• Normal adult pulse rate can range between 60 and 100 beats per minute
• The pulse of an infant is significantly faster than that of an adult
Copyright 2003 by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.
Table 6-2 Pulse Ranges by Age Group
Copyright 2003 by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.
Respiration
• One respiration includes the inspiration and expiration of a breath
• The rhythm and character of respiration are important observations
Copyright 2003 by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.
Box 6-2 Respiration in Adults