Vital Signs

Medical Science 1

Lesson Objectives

Understand What vitals are and how to

document them

Learn How to: Take Pulse Rate Take Respiration Rate Take Blood Pressure

What are vital signs?

Outward signs of what is going on inside of the body Pulse Respirations Blood Pressure Skin Color Temperature Pupils

Pulse• Heart pumps blood through blood

vessels• Blood passes through arteries in waves• Surges of blood through the arteries

can be felt as pulses• The number of pulses felt in a minute

is equal to the number of heart beats in a minute

• Two Components: Rate and Quality• Rate=Beats/min• Quality: How it feels – strong, weak,

thready…

•Radial Pulse

Pulse Locations

•Carotid Pulse•Brachial Pulse

Average Pulse Ranges

Age Beats/min14+ 60-10011-14 60-1056-10 70-

110… …Newborn 120-160

Respirations

Respiration = The act of breathing

Measured in breaths per min 2 actions of respiration are:

inspiration and exhalation Inspiration = breath in Exhalation = breath out

1 breath = 1 inspiration & 1 exhalation

Respiration Components

Rate and Quality (just like pulse) Rate = Breaths/min Quality = normal, shallow, labored,

noisy

What do you think,

normal?

Average Respiration Ranges

Age Breaths/min14+ 12-2011-14 12-206-10 15-30… …Newborn 30-50

Blood Pressure

Definition:The force of blood against the walls of the blood vessels

When the heart contracts and forces blood in the arteries – Systolic Pressure

When the heart is relaxed, the remaining pressures in the arteries – Diastolic Pressure

Blood Pressure

Presented in the form: Systolic Diastolic

Average Blood pressure = 120/80

How to Take Blood Pressure1. Position the blood pressure cuff

1. Arrow over brachial artery

2. Put stethoscope properly into your ears

3. Place the head of the stethoscope on the brachial artery, below the BP cuff

4. Pump the BP cuff to 160 mmHG5. Slowly release pressure by turning

value counterclockwise6. 1st sound heard = systolic pressure7. Last sound heard = diastolic pressure

Blood Pressure by Palpation1. Very similar to previous

procedure, but no stethoscope is used

2. Instead, place your hand on the radial pulse

3. Pump BP cuff to 160 mmHG4. Slowly release the value5. First pulse felt = Systolic pressure6. Diastolic pressure cannot be

measured this way7. Documented: (Systolic)/Palp.

Now it’s your turn!

On the BP arm record the following information:

Assess the radial pulse and blood pressure by auscultation; record the values you obtain and compare those scores with “normal” values.

Tip: if you don’t know what normal range/scores are supposed to be, find it

Now it’s your turn! (cont’d)Use your classmates as patients

for the following tasks: Tip: Record your answers on the

form provided on my website Assess the vital signs of 6 people

Think deeper!!

Answer the following questions on the BACK of your assessment form!

Why would a healthy 18 year old person need vital signs assessed at a sports physical?

Why would a cardiac pt have the dorsalis pedis pulse site assessed pre and post op?

THE END!

Use your own paper to complete the LAST TASK!

Write 2 separate case stories. First story First story describes a situation

(accident, trauma, chronic illness, etc.) in which you would assess homeostasis using a pulse site located on the patient’s upper body

THE END! (cont’d) Second story Second story describes a

situation (accident, trauma, chronic illness, etc.) in which you would assess homeostasis using a pulse site located on the patient’s lower body

Include in both stories: Name of pulse site, description of

it’s location and WHY you are assessing at that location.

Provide as many details as possible in your story