1. How to Measure Vital Signs
Mashael Alsufyani
M.S.N ,community Health Nursing
Nursing lecturer, King Saud University.

2. After completion of this practical lecture, you will be able to:
Learning Objectives
After completion of this practical lecture, you will be able to:
Know how to take vital signs.
Demonstrate the correct procedure to take a temperature, pulse, respiration, and blood pressure.
Know the normal ranges for Adult Vital Signs.

3. Before beginning any procedure
Have equipment clean and ready
Wash hands
Identify the person
Introduce yourself if necessary
Go to a private or quiet area
Explain the procedure
Document your results.

4. Respiration

5. Equipment
Hand watch

6. How to Take Respiration Rate
Respirations may be counted by watching the number of times a person’s chest rises and falls in one minute.
You may want to place your fingers on the persons wrist.
They may also be counted by placing the hand on the chest.
The normal adult rate is respirations per minute.
Count persons respirations for 60 seconds (inhale + exhale =1 breath)
Document respiration rate and any abnormal findings or irregularities.

7. Abnormal findings: Hyperventilation: increased respiratory rate.
Occurs during exercise, infection, emotional stress, shock.
Hypoventilation: decreased respiratory rate.
Occurs during sleep, overdose of certain drugs.
Apnoea: cessation of breathing.

8. Pulse

9. Equipment
Hand watch

11. How to Take Pulse
Place two or three fingers over the radial artery (in the wrist)
Count beats for 60 seconds using watch or clock with a second hand.
Normal heart rate: 60 – 100/ minute.
Recount beats if pulse is irregular
Document and report any irregularities

12. Normal heart rate: 60 – 100/ minute.
Regular in rate and rhythm, strong to touch.
Tachycardia: Fast heart rate > 100/minute.
Causes: exercise, infection, excitement, shock, heart attack.
Bradycardia: Slow heart rate < 60/minute.
Causes: sleep, rest, overdose of certain drugs, hypoxia.

13. Temperature

14. Sites to Measure Body Temperature
Oral
Axillary
Tympanic
& Rectal temperature.

15. Equipments
Alcohol swab
Thermometer (Mercury , Digital and Tympanic)

16. How to Measure Temperature
In oral temperature remove the thermometer from the storage container and cleanse it from bulb's toward the fingertip .
check the thermometer & shake it if the mercury over 35◦c.
Place the thermometer in the client mouth under the tongue and instruct the client to hold the lips closed.
Remove the thermometer and read at eye level and rotate slowly until the mercury level is visualized.
Measures for reuse mercury thermometer, just wash under running water.

17. Normal body temperatures is 36.5-37.5◦c
Hypothermia: low temperature
Occurs in severe loss of body fluids through excessive vomiting, diarrhea, bleeding, shock.
Hyperthermia: high temperature
Occurs as a result of infection, heat illness, injuries.

18. Blood pressure

19. Equipments
Sphygmomanometer.
Stethoscope.
Cuff.

20. How to Measure Blood Pressure
Open the mercury, make sure that the cuff, pump & tubes are functioning.
Apply the cuff on forearm correctly & put the stethoscope over the site of brachial artery.
Clean the earpieces with alcohol & insert it into the ear correctly.
Close the pump & elevate the mercury.
Release the valve of the cuff carefully & note in the mercury line the first sound
Continue to deflate the cuff gradually, noting the point at which sound disappear or changed.
Remove the cuff from the arm & fold it then close the mercury tank.

21. Normal blood pressure: 120/80 – 100/70.
Hypertension: high blood pressure.
Occurs in atherosclerosis, obesity, increasing age,exercise.
Hypotension: low blood pressure.
Occurs in fluid loss in vomiting, diarrhea, shock, bleeding.

22. After Completing any Procedure:
Wash Hands
Document
Report abnormal readings
Clean and put away equipment

23. Summary In this practical lecture we have discuss the following:
Know how to take vital signs.
Demonstrate the correct procedure to take a temperature, pulse, respiration, and blood pressure.
Know the normal ranges for Adult Vital Signs.

24. References http://www. cmhcm