L3 (TEMP/PULSE/BLOOD/OXYGEN) Flashcards
(51 cards)
Reflecting the physiologic state that governs the body’s vital organs.
Vital Signs
Collective term for temperature, pulse, respiration, and blood pressure.
Vital Signs
the physiologic balance between heat produced in the body tissues and heat lost to the environment.
Body Temperature
derived through the metabolism of food taken into the body, the activity of circulating hormones, and the skeletal muscles.
Body Heat
a. normal heat production but decreased heat loss.
b. normal heat loss but increased heat production.
A rise in the body temperature:
a. normal heat loss but decreased heat production.
b. normal heat production but increased heat loss.
A fall in the body temperature:
FACTORS AFFECTING TEMPERATURE MAINTENANCE AND REGULATION
- Environmental Temperature.
- Diurnal Variations
- Exercise
- Specific Dynamic Action (SDA) of Food.
- Hormonal Activity
- Sex and Age Factors
commonly used device to measure body temperature. It has a glass bulb containing mercury and a stem
Thermometer
is a silvery liquid metal used for this purpose because it expands when exposed to heat and rises as it expands in the narrow
Mercury
• It has a glass bulb containing mercury and a stem.
• one end contains a bulb filled with mercury.
• outside of a glass tube (stem) marked with a scale for measurement.
Glass and Mercury Thermometer.
These thermometers are the old-school way to take a temperature. You normally would place it under your
tongue and watch the mercury rise. Once it stops, that would be your temperature. Unfortunately, due to the
risk of mercury poisoning, this means of taking a temperature is not a good idea and you are highly
recommended to consult with a healthcare body to discard any you might have.
Glass and Mercury Thermometer.
short, flat, rounded
Rectal thermometer
long and slender bulb
Axillary thermometer
slightly longer than the rectal bulb
Oral thermometer
are regarded as the fastest, most common, and most accurate type of thermometer. Readings are taken from under the tongue, from the rectum, or under the armpit. They are easily found in local pharmacies and can be used at home or in the hospital.
Digital Thermometer
These thermometers also read heat using infrared and are placed on the temporal artery. Forehead thermometers are also not as reliable as digital thermometers.
Forehead thermometers
These thermometers can detect the presence of a fever in a patient; however, they do not give an exact temperature
reading. They simply act as an indication that something might be wrong. To use them, you just place the strip on
the forehead.
Plastic strip thermometers
These thermometers are used predominantly in babies older than three months. They require the baby to be still for a couple of minutes and this can be a struggle. This means that sometimes the temperature can be inaccurate.
Pacifier thermometer
These use infrared technology to get their temperature reading. Electronic ear thermometers are less accurate if there is too much wax in the ear it can give an incorrect reading.
Electronic or tympanic ear thermometers
Despite being expensive, they are a lot easier to use on
babies and young children, as it can be hard to get children to sit still for long enough while using digital
thermometers.
Electronic or tympanic ear thermometers
handheld electronic devices with an integrated visual display, designed for detecting heat energy. The key
component of a thermal camera is a heat sensor attached to a special type of lens, which is then adapted to work
alongside standard image-capture technologies
Thermal imaging cameras
METHODS SITES FOR TAKING BODY TEMPERATURE
• ORAL/BY MOUTH
• RECTAL/FROM THE RECTUM
• AXILLA/FROM THE ARMPIT
• Forehead Thermometers
• TYMPANIC MEMBRANE
most practical clinically preferred method. Reflects changing body temperature more quickly than the rectal method.
Oral/By mouth
the most accurate and reliable index of internal body temperature but it could be uncomfortable to the patient. Advisable on the very ill, neurosurgical, and highly febrile patients.
RECTAL/FROM THE RECTUM
