VITAL SIGNS:

VITAL SIGNS: VITAL SIGNS ARE PHYSICAL SIGNS THAT INDICATE AN INDIVIDUAL IS ALIVE THESE CAN INCLUDE: PULSE, RESPIRATIONS, TEMPERATURE, BLOOD PRESSURE, ETC. THESE SIGNS MAY BE OBSERVED, MEASURED AND MONITORED TO ASSESS AN INDIVIDUALS LEVEL OF PHYSICAL FUNCTIONING

VITAL SIGNS: NORMAL VITAL SIGNS CHANGE WITH AGE, SEX, WEIGHT, EXERCISE TOLERANCE AND CONDITIONING ALL VITAL SIGNS MEASUREMENTS SHOULD BE MADE WHILE THE PATIENT IS SEATED PRIOR TO MEASURING VITAL SIGNS, THE PATIENT SHOULD HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO REST FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES

PULSE: THE PULSE REFLECTS THE CONDITION OF THE PATIENTS CIRCULATORY SYSTEM AND CARDIAC FUNCTION PULSE RATES VARY WITH THE SIZE OF THE PATIENT, PHYSICAL CONDITION, AND AGE

PULSE: PULSE IS RECORDED IN TERMS OF BEATS PER MINUTE (BPM) NORMAL PULSE RATE FOR AN ADULT IS 60-100 BPM WITH THE AVERAGE BEING 70-80 BPM RATES HIGHER THAN 100 ARE KNOWN AS TACHYCARDIA AND RATES BELOW 60 ARE KNOWN AS BRADYCARDIA IN A TRAINED ATHLETE, PULSE CAN BE LOWER (50-60 BPM) BECAUSE THEIR HEART MUSCLE RECEIVES MORE EXERCISE

PULSE: BULSE RATE IS ONE MEASUREMENT ANOTHER IS QUALITY OF THE HEART BEAT WEAK STRONG THREADY (WEAK AND RAPID) BOUNDING (UNUSUALLY FULL AND STRONG)

PULSE: WHAT IT CAN MEAN: RAPID WEAK PULSE: SHOCK, BLEEDING, DIABETIC COMA, OR HEAT EXHAUSTION RAPID STRONG PULSE: HEATSTROKE, SEVERE FRIGHT, OR HYPERTENSION (HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE) STRONG SLOW PULSE: SKULL FRACTURE OR STROKE ABSENCE OF A PULSE: CARDIAC ARREST OR DEATH

CHECKING PULSE: THE PLSE CAN BE FELT IN MANY PLACES ON THE BODY

CHECKING PULSE: PULSE NEEDS TO BE TAKEN WITH YOUR FIRST 2 FINGERS (INDEX AND MIDDLE) NEVER USE YOUR THUMB BECAUSE THE THUMB HAS A PULSE OF ITS OWN PULSE SHOULD BE MONITORED FOR ONE MINUTE OR 30 SECONDS AND MULTIPLIED BY 2

RESPIRATIONS: BREATHING, OR RESPIRATION, IS THE PROCESS OF BRINGING OXYGEN INTO THE BODY WHERE IT CAN BE UTILIZED BY THE CELLS RESPIRATIONS CAN BE ALTERED BY EXCITEMENT, DRUGS, DISEASES, PAIN, TRAUMA, FEVER, ETC

RESPIRATIONS: A SINGLE RESPIRATION CONSISTS OF ONE INSPIRATION AND ONE EXPIRATION NORMAL RESPIRATION RATES FOR AN AVERAGE ADULT ARE 15- 20 BREATHS PER MINUTE A WELL TRAINED ATHLETE CAN BE AS LOW AS 6-8 BREATHS PER MIN

RESPIRATIONS: BRADYPNEA: ABNORMALLY SLOW DYSPNEA: DIFFICULT OR PAINFUL BREATHING; SHORTNESS OF BREATH HYPERPNEA OR TACHYPNEA: BREATHING THAT IS FASTER OR DEEPER THAN NORMAL (HYPERVENTILATION) KUSSMAUL’S BREATHING: DEEP, GASPING RESPIRATIONS

CHECKING RESPIRATIONS: COUNT THE NUMBER OF BREATHS A PATIENT HAS FOR ONE MINUTE OR THE NUMBER OF BREATHS IN 30 SECONDS AND MULTIPLY BY 2 KEEP IN MIND: SOMETIMES LETTING THE PATIENT KNOW THAT YOU ARE COUNTING THEIR RESPIRATIONS WILL ALTER THE NUMBER

BLOOD PRESSURE: BLOOD PRESSURE IS A MEASUREMENT OF THE PRESSURE OF THE BLOOD EXERTED AGAINST THE WALLS OF THE ARTERIES THE PRESSURE IS MEASURED AS 2 MEASUREMENTS SYSTOLIC: PRESSURE WHEN HEART CONTRACTS (TOP #) DIASTOLIC: PRESSURE WHEN THE HEART IS AT REST (BOTTOM #)

BLOOD PRESSURE: BLOOD PRESSURE CAN BE AFFECTED BY: INCREASE: AGE, EXERCISE, OBESITY, FOOD, PAIN, STRESS, STIMULANTS, STEROIDS, AND CERTAIN MEDICATIONS DECREASE: WEIGHT LOSS, FASTING, DEPRESSION, AND BLOOD LOSS

BLOOD PRESSURE: NORMAL BLOOD PRESSURE IS MEASURED AS 120/80 ABNORMAL SYSTOLIC: BELOW 100 OR ABOVE 139 ABNORMAL DIASTOLIC: BELOW 65 OR ABOVE 89

BLOOD PRESSURE: HYPOTENSION-LOW BLOOD PRESSURE MAY INDICATE SHOCK, DEHYDRATION, OR INTERNAL INJURY HYPERTENSION-HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE MAY INDICATE CARDIAC PROBLEMS AND STROKE CAUSES OF THIS COULD BE OBESITY, LACK OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, TOO MUCH SALT IN DIET, AND STRESS

TEMPERATURE: THE BODY’S CORE TEMPERATURE MUST REMAIN WITHIN A RELATIVELY NARROW RANGE IN ORDER FOR THE BODY’S VARIOUS SYSTEMS TO FUNCTION EFFICIENTLY NORMAL BODY TEMPERATURE IS 98.6 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT (37 DEGREES CELSIUS)