1. What are the Four Vital Signs?
Temperature (T)
Pulse (P)
Respirations (R)
Blood Pressure (B/P)

2. Where do you measure temperature?
Oral: 96.0F – 100.0F
Axillary: 98.6F – 97.6F
Rectal: 98.6F – 99.6F
Tympanic/Aural: 96.0F – 99.5

3. Effects on Temperature
Activity
Infections
Drugs: Stimulants
Drugs: Depressants
Other factors that influence Temperature?

4. Effects on Temperature
Oral Temp
Can be effected by what person has recently been eating
Leave for about 2 min
Rectal Temp
Insert only about 1cm

5. Types of Thermometers
Electronic
Digital
Disposable
Tympanic

6. Pulse (p) How fast the heart is beating
Measured in beats per minute (BPM)
Take while at rest
Arteries in the body expand with each heart contraction

7. Pulse Sites
Artery is closer to the skin: pressing on these area’s you can feel the pulse
Radial Popliteal Femoral
Brachial Carotid
Apical Temporal
pedal

8. Normal Pulse Rate Varies by age What increases pulse
What decreases pulse?
Adult Normal:
Tachycardia
Bradycardia
Rhythm
force

9. Normal Pulse Rate
Pulse should be measured with index finger and middle finger
Thumb- has it’s own pulse making it difficult to feel the persons pulse

10. Respirations (R) Role & Function: Adults: 12-20 Children 18-28
Inhalation
Exhalation
Adults: 12-20
Children 18-28
Infants 24-35
Counted at rest

11. Respiratory Terms Apnea Bradypnea Dyspnea Cheyne-Stokes
Orthopnea hyperventilation
Tachypnea
SOB

12. Blood Pressure (b/p) Measured in millimeters of mercury (mm/Hg)
Written as a fraction
What effects pressure?
Systolic:
Diastolic: 60 – 90
Hypertension
Hypotension

13. Blood Pressure
What increases pressure?
What decreases pressure?

14. Taking a B/P Stethoscope Sphygmomanometer Reading the gauge
S = first sound
D = last sound