Chapter 2 Vital Signs Flashcards
(19 cards)
What are the five vital signs?
Temperature, blood pressure, respiration, pulse, and pain level or comfort level
When should vitals be measured?
Upon admission and discharge, on routine schedule, before and after surgical or invasive procedures, before, and after administering certain medications, when patients generally condition changes, before, and after certain nursing interventions, when the patient reports nonspecific symptoms, when assessing patient during home health visit
What happens when a temperature of one percent Fahrenheit rises
It can cause an increase in pulse of rates of 4 bpmit can also increase respiratory rate and blood pressure readings
What happens when the blood pressure falls because of hemorrhage
The pulse and respiration rates increase and the temperature decreases
What are the five types of blood pressure
Normal less than 120/80, elevated 120 to 129/80, high blood pressure stage one 130 to 139/80 to 89, high blood pressure stage two 140 or higher over 90 or higher, and hypertensive crisis higher than 180 or higher than 120
What is a normal temperature?
The body strives to maintain a temperature of 98.8 Fahrenheit normal limits is 97 to 99.6 Fahrenheit
What are the two types of body temperature?
Core temperature and surface temperature
What are the underlining symptoms for temperature?
Hypothermia, febrile, pyrexia 
What are some factors that affect body temperature?
Age, exercise, hormonal, influences, daily variation, so time of day, stress, environment, ingestion of food of hot and cold liquids, smoking
What are the temperature sites?
 oral, rectal, axillary, tympanic, temporal artery
What are signs and symptoms of elevated body temperature?
Disorientation, elevated pulse, and respiratory rates, flushed, warm skin, sensitivity, to light, headache, increase perspiration, irritability, restlessness, or excessive sleeping, thirst
What is a pulse?
Caused by the ejection of blood from the left ventricle of the heart as the contracts
What are the sites of pulse?
Temporal, facial, carotid, karma, brachial, radial, femoral, popliteal, posterior tibial, Dorsalis pedis
What are the pulse patterns
Tachycardia over 100 bpm, Brady acardia pulses lower than 60 bpm
What are factors that influence pulse rates?
Acute pain or anxiety, age, exercise, fever, hemorrhage, medications, metabolism, postural changes, pulmonary conditions, unrelieved, severe pain, dehydration
What is the pulse value variations?
Zero is absent pulse, one plus is difficult to fill, 2+ somewhat stronger, but lightweight pleasure easily felt but normal pulse, 4+ bounding pulse feels full and spring like even under moderate pressure
What is normal respiration rate
12 to 20 breaths per minute
what are the different levels of respirations? 
Tachypnea >20, Bradypnea <12, dyspnea, difficulty breathing, apnea a lack of spontaneous, respirations, hyper ventilation, fast, respiration rate plus deep, breathing, hypoventilation, slow, respiration rate plus shallow breathing
