1. VITAL SIGNS Medical Foundations

2. Vital Signs (Signs of Life) Temperature Pulse Respirations Oxygen Concentration Pupils Blood Pressure

3. TEMPERATURE afebrile ▫a = without, febrile = fever hypothermia ▫Below 95 0 F pyrexia ▫Above normal temperature pyrogenic ▫Anything that causes fever

4. Types of Thermometers Aural (ear) Temporal Artery (forehead) Chemically Treated Paper or Plastic Electronic/Digital Thermometer

5. Sites to Take Body Temperature Oral: mouth ▫Simple and most common, convenient, and comfortable site. Ranges from 97.6 0 to 99.6 0 Rectal: above the anus ▫Used on young patients or those who mouth breathe. Most accurate. Ranges from 98.6 0 to 100.6 0 Aural: ear canal ▫Accurate, easy to use. Normal is 98.6 0 Axillary: armpit ▫Least accurate. Normal range is 96.6 0 to 98.6 0 Use this site if the first three are not available.

6. 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

7. temple neck apex of the heart inside elbow wrist groin back of knee top of foot

8. 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

9. RESPIRATIONS Taking oxygen (O 2 ) into the body ▫Inhale, inspiration, breathing in Expelling carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) 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.

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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.

14. PUPIL SIZE Glaucoma: mid-dilated pupil may be a sign Aneurysm: dilated pupil Brain tumor: problems within the pupil Recreational drug use: dilated or constricted Medications: dilated pupils Head trauma: unequal pupils Cluster headaches: constricted pupil Stroke: changes in the size Syphilis: small, unequal, misshapen pupils that constrict with near focusing but do not react normally to light

15. BLOOD PRESSURE

17. Tips for Taking Blood Pressure