VITAL SIGNS

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VITAL SIGNS
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Blood Pressure

• Definition the pressure the blood exerts on the
  walls of the arteries.
• Hypertension HIGH blood pressure
• Hypotension LOW blood pressure

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Blood Pressure

• Systole the contraction phase, corresponds to
  the actual beat of the heart, and is the period
  of GREATEST pressure. Systole is the TOP number
• Diastole the relaxation phase, corresponds to
  the filling action of the heart, and is the
  period of LEAST pressure. Diastole is the BOTTOM
  number.

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Pulse Pressure

• Definition the difference between the systolic
  and diastolic readings.
• Normal pulse pressure is 40
• gt 50 or lt 30 is considered abnormal
• General rule of thumb is that pulse pressure
  should be about one third of the systolic
  pressure.

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Blood Pressure

• Measured in millimeters of Mercury, or as it is
  written mm/Hg.
• Use a sphygmomanometer, and a stethoscope.
• Written as a fraction 120/80, where the
  systolic is 120 and diastolic is 80.

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BLOOD PRESSURES..technique

• 1. Placement of cuff
• brachial artery (just above the elbow
• 2. Close valve
• 3. Inflate bladder with bulb
• 4. SLOWLY release the valve
• 5. Listen1st sound, and last sound

• REMEMBER
• 100 - 140
• 60 - 90

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Sounds

• 1st sound Systole heart _at_ work
• (contracting)
• Last Sound Diastole heart _at_ rest
• ( relaxing)

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Pulses

• Apical stethoscope for 1 minute
• Radial wrist
• Carotid neck

• REMEMBER
• 60-90nml, Adults
• 90-160nml, infants

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Pulses

• Characteristics
• Rhythm refers to the regularity of the pulse
  (regular or irregular)
• Rate the number of beats per minute
• Volume refers to the force or strength of the
  pulse normal, bounding, weak, thready (barely
  perceivable)

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Pulses

• Tachycardia gt 100 beats per minute
• Bradycardia lt 60 beats per minute
• Exception many athletes normally have heart
  rates lt 60 because their heart is in better shape.

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Pulses

• Pulse deficit The difference between the apical
  pulse and the radial pulse.
• Pulse deficit can indicate certain heart
  conditions, that will be diagnosed by further
  testing.

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Respirations

• Measurement of breathing
• This is tricky, you must fool the patient by
  letting them think you are continuing to count
  heartbeats and at the same time watch the chest
  rise and fall.
• Hyperventilation excessively fast and deep
  respirations
• Dyspnea difficult or labored breathing

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Respirations..characteristics

• Apnea no breathing..
• Rales noisy breathing
• Crackles Heard in the bases of the
  lungs..sounds like (demo)
• Respirations are Normal, shallow or deep,
  regular or irregular
• Cheyne Stokes slow shallow breaths that increse
  in depth and frequency to be followed by a few
  shallow breaths and then apnea for gt10 seconds..
  This usually precedes death.

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RESPIRATIONS

• Stethoscope
• One inhalation, one exhalation1 resp.
• Count by watching the chest rise and fall
• DONT TELL THE PATIENT!

• REMEMBER
• NORMAL 12-20 breaths per minute.

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Temperatures

• Definition the amount of heat the body
  generates under normal or stressed conditions.
• Oral under the tongue
• Rectal in the anus
• Axillary under the armpit

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TEMPERATURES

• RECTAL99.6
• AXILLIARY 97.6
• ORAL 98.6
• Shake down Thermometer
• Clean with alcohol.
• Place under tongue.
• For 3 minutes.
• Rectal Axillary
• 10 min.

• REMEMBER!

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THE END