The document discusses the four main vital signs that are routinely monitored by medical professionals: body temperature, pulse rate, respiration rate, and blood pressure. It provides details on normal ranges for each vital sign and describes the proper techniques for measuring each one, such as using a thermometer to take temperature orally, rectally, or axillary and listening with a stethoscope over the brachial artery to measure blood pressure. The document aims to educate about vital signs and how they are obtained.
The document discusses the four main vital signs that are routinely monitored by medical professionals: body temperature, pulse rate, respiration rate, and blood pressure. It provides details on normal ranges for each vital sign and describes the proper techniques for measuring each one, such as using a thermometer to take temperature orally, rectally, or axillary and listening with a stethoscope over the brachial artery to measure blood pressure. The document aims to educate about vital signs and how they are obtained.
The document discusses the four main vital signs that are routinely monitored by medical professionals: body temperature, pulse rate, respiration rate, and blood pressure. It provides details on normal ranges for each vital sign and describes the proper techniques for measuring each one, such as using a thermometer to take temperature orally, rectally, or axillary and listening with a stethoscope over the brachial artery to measure blood pressure. The document aims to educate about vital signs and how they are obtained.
The document discusses the four main vital signs that are routinely monitored by medical professionals: body temperature, pulse rate, respiration rate, and blood pressure. It provides details on normal ranges for each vital sign and describes the proper techniques for measuring each one, such as using a thermometer to take temperature orally, rectally, or axillary and listening with a stethoscope over the brachial artery to measure blood pressure. The document aims to educate about vital signs and how they are obtained.
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Hello, guys!
I'm Jhovelyn Abel, and today we'll discuss about vital signs and how to obtain them. So, what is the first thing that leaps to mind when you hear the phrase "VITAL SIGNS"?
Vital signs are measurements of the body's most basic functions. The four main vital signs routinely monitored by medical professionals and health care providers include the following:
Body temperature Pulse rate Respiration rate (rate of breathing) Blood pressure (Blood pressure is not considered a vital sign but is often measured along with the vital signs.)
Moreover, vital signs are useful in detecting or monitoring medical problems. Vital signs can be measured in a medical setting, at home, at the site of a medical emergency, or elsewhere.
Let’s proceed to the number 1—Body temperature.
What is body temperature?
The normal body temperature of a person varies depending on gender, recent
activity, food and fluid consumption, time of day, and, in women, the stage of the menstrual cycle. Normal body temperature can range from 97.8 degrees F (or Fahrenheit, equivalent to 36.5 degrees C, or Celsius) to 99 degrees F (37.2 degrees C) for a healthy adult. A person's body temperature can be taken in any of the following ways:
Orally. Temperature can be taken by mouth using either the classic glass
thermometer, or the more modern digital thermometers that use an electronic probe to measure body temperature. Rectally. Temperatures taken rectally (using a glass or digital thermometer) tend to be 0.5 to 0.7 degrees F higher than when taken by mouth. Axillary. Temperatures can be taken under the arm using a glass or digital thermometer. Temperatures taken by this route tend to be 0.3 to 0.4 degrees F lower than those temperatures taken by mouth. By ear. A special thermometer can quickly measure the temperature of the ear drum, which reflects the body's core temperature (the temperature of the internal organs). By skin. A special thermometer can quickly measure the temperature of the skin on the forehead.
The most usual route that we use is via the axillary. This is how it is done:
1. Check that the thermometer if it is on.
2. With the tip of the thermometer pointing at the child, have the child lift their arm, slide the thermometer under their arm, with the tip gently pressed against the center of the armpit. 3. Have the child put their arm down, close against the body so the thermometer stays in place. 4. Wait for the thermometer to take its reading. This will take about a minute or until it beeps. 5. Remove the thermometer from their armpit and read the temperature. 6. Clean the thermometer and store for its next use. When cleaning up the thermometer, before and after you use it, you must wipe down the thermometer with alcohol-based wipes (at least 70% alcohol) or rubbing alcohol.
Next one is the pulse rate. It is a measurement of the heart rate, or the number of times the heart beats per minute. As the heart pushes blood through the arteries, the arteries expand and contract with the flow of the blood. Taking a pulse not only measures the heart rate, but also can indicate the following:
Heart rhythm Strength of the pulse
The normal pulse for healthy adults’ ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute. The pulse rate may fluctuate and increase with exercise, illness, injury, and emotions. Females ages 12 and older, in general, tend to have faster heart rates than do males. Athletes, such as runners, who do a lot of cardiovascular conditioning, may have heart rates near 40 beats per minute and experience no problems. How to check your pulse rate?
Using the first and second fingertips, press firmly but gently on the arteries until you feel a pulse. Begin counting the pulse when the clock's second hand is on the 12. Count your pulse for 60 seconds (or for 15 seconds and then multiply by four to calculate beats per minute). When counting, do not watch the clock continuously, but concentrate on the beats of the pulse. If unsure about your results, ask another person to count for you.
Thirdly, what is the respiration rate?
The respiration rate is the number of breaths a person takes per minute. The rate is usually measured when a person is at rest and simply involves counting the number of breaths for one minute by counting how many times the chest rises. Respiration rates may increase with fever, illness, and other medical conditions. When checking respiration, it is important to also note whether a person has any difficulty breathing.
Normal respiration rates for an adult person at rest range from 12 to 16 breaths per minute.
How do I count a person's respirations?
Ask the person to sit upright.
Try to count the other person's respirations without his knowing. If he knows, he may try to control his breathing. This can give a false respiratory rate. Use a watch with a second hand and count his breaths for 60 seconds. Use any of the following methods to count: o Look at his chest rise and fall. One rise and one fall are counted as 1 breath. o Listen to his breaths. o Place your hand on the person's chest to feel the rise and fall.
And the last one is the blood pressure.
Blood pressure is the force of the blood pushing against the artery walls during contraction and relaxation of the heart. Each time the heart beats, it pumps blood into the arteries, resulting in the highest blood pressure as the heart contracts. When the heart relaxes, the blood pressure falls.
Two numbers are recorded when measuring blood pressure. The higher number, or systolic pressure, refers to the pressure inside the artery when the heart contracts and pumps blood through the body. The lower number, or diastolic pressure, refers to the pressure inside the artery when the heart is at rest and is filling with blood. Both the systolic and diastolic pressures are recorded as "mm Hg" (millimeters of mercury).
HOW TO TAKE MANUAL BLOOD PRESSURE IN 7 EASY STEPS
1. Roll up the sleeve (if you wear a long-sleeved shirt).
2. Sit down on a chair and rest the patient’s arm on a table at your heart level. Use a pillow if needed.
3. Place the Cuffs on the bare skin. Make sure they are tight.
4. Position the stethoscope at the crease of the arm to locate the
strongest pulse.
5. Inflate and deflate the cuff (check the video below on how to take blood pressure manually).
6. Listen for a first and second “thump” sound. The first occurrence of rhythmic sounds will indicate the systolic blood pressure, while the second, the diastolic blood pressure.
7. Take a second reading. To check the accuracy of the blood
pressure, take a second reading on the other arm too. Wait a few minutes between readings.
THANK YOU FOR WATCHING! I HOPE YOU’VE LEARNED SOMETHING
