1. Signs we are ALIVE
Vital Signs

2. What are Vital signs? Measures of the body’s most basic functions
Heart Rate
Blood Pressure
Temperature
Respiration Rate
These measures help assess the basic physiological state of the body – provides a baseline for comparison
When they’re not zero = person alive

3. All vital signs can be … Observed, Measured, and Monitored
Normal ranges of vital signs change with AGE and MEDICAL CONDITIONS
Our bodies are always trying to maintain HOMEOSTASIS – a constancy in the internal environment of the body, naturally maintained by adaptive responses that promote healthy survival.
Ex: sweating to cool body temperature

4. Vital Signs Body Temperature Respiratory Rate Pulse / Heart Rate
Blood Pressure

5. Body Temperature
The human body has an ideal temperature, and it works to maintain it, this is called:
THERMOREGULATION
Measurement: oral, axillary, tympanic, rectal

8. Respiratory Rate
Respiratory System delivers oxygen to the body’s tissues & eliminates carbon dioxide.
Major muscle of ventilation: diaphragm
Measured in “breaths per minute”
Adults: 12 – 20 bpm
Children: 20 – 30 bpm
Newborns: 30 – 60 bpm

9. Other factors affecting respiration
Pain, anxiety, exercise
Trauma, infection, medication
Respiratory and cardiovascular disease
Alteration in fluid, electrolyte and Acid-base balances
Increase in blood CO2 is most powerful respiratory stimulant

10. Measuring respiration rate
Through observation – one full inspiration and expiration (don’t tell them when you’re counting)
Normal adult bpm
Tachypnea = respiration >20 bpm
Bradypnea = respiration < 10 bpm
Apnea = absence of breathing
Dyspnea = difficulty breathing

11. Pulse Oximeter Measures oxygen level in blood
Normal PulseOximeter = 95% to 100%

12. Pulse Pulse rate: Adult = 60 to 100 beats per minute
Children under 10 = 70 to 120 beats per minute
Tachycardia – rapid pulse (>100 bpm)
Bradycardia- low pulse (<60 bpm)

13. Factors contributing to increased pulse rate
Pain, fever, stress, exercise
Bleeding, decrease in BP, some medications like adrenalin (epi-pen)
Factors contributing to decreased pulse rate
Age, rest, thin body size
some medications like Beta-blockers (also help lower BP)

14. Blood Pressure
Measure of the force exerted by blood on the arterial walls during contraction & relaxation.
Measured pressure when the heart is relaxed: Diastolic
Measured pressure when the heart is contracted: Systolic
Measured with a Sphygmomanometer

15. Blood Pressure cont’d Recorded in millimeters of mercury
(mm Hg) with systolic over diastolic
Normal adult systolic: mm Hg
Normal adult diastolic: mm Hg
Hypertension = high blood pressure (age, obesity, exercise, emotions, food intake,
Hypotension = low blood pressure

16. Blood Pressure Systolic pressure = 95-140 mmHg
Diastolic pressure = mmHg
120/ 80 Normal