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Flashcards in Vital Signs Deck (21)
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1
Q

What vital signs do you typically check for in an individual?

A
  • Blood pressure
  • Pulse
  • Respirations
  • Temperature
  • Level of consciousness
  • Pupil status
  • Breath sounds

CRATE - my mnemonic

  • C for cardiovascular system check = blood pressure and pulse
  • R for respiratory system check = Respirations and breath sounds
  • A for awakeness; level of consciousness
  • T for temperature
  • E for Eyes; pupil status
2
Q

What is the difference between signs and symptoms?

A
  • Signs are observed and measured by you
  • Symptoms are told to you by the patient
3
Q

What do you do when you are vital sign checking for respirations?

A
  1. Count the number of breaths per minute
  2. Assess the Quality of those breaths: regular or irregular?
    1. Rhythm: check frequency of breaths.
    2. Effort is there grunting gasping, tripod position, nasal flaring,etc..? (regular should be effortless)
    3. Noise: any noise is irregular such as coughing up stuff. (regular should be quiet)
  3. Assess tidal volume
  • Is it increased? patient is taking high volumes of air, more than usual.
  • Is it normal? (adequate)
  • Is it decreased? swallow breathing.

Example: 16 respirations/min ATV, Regular (ATV = adequate tidal volume)

4
Q

What are the normal respiration values for adults, children, and infants? Stare at chest for females when assessing and abdominal for males.

A
  • Most Adults (includes adolescents 12-18 yrs, early adults 19-40 yrs, middle adults 41-60 yrs) NOTE!! Late adults 61-Older yrs depends on health.
    • 12-20 breaths/min (general)
  • Children (Note in book there are specifics… 6-12 yrs 15-20 breaths/min, 3-6 yrs 20-25 breaths/min, 1-3 yrs 20-30 breaths/min)
    • 18-30 breaths/min (general)
  • Infants (Note in book there are specifics… Neonates 0-1 month have 30-60 breaths/min, infants 1 month - 1 yr have 25-30 breaths/min)
    • 30-60 breaths/min (general)
5
Q

For the following conditions…

  1. What is not breathing classifed as? (Not breathing)
  2. What is slow breathing classified as? (Slow breathing)
  3. What is fast breathing classifed as? (Fast breathing)
  4. What is poor (decreased) tidal volume classifed as? (Poor tidal volume)
  5. What is deep (increased) tidal volume classifed as? (Incre. tidal volume)
A
  1. Apnea
  2. Bradypnea
  3. Tachypena
  4. Hypoventilation
  5. Hyperventilation
6
Q

How do you take and record the pulse as a vital sign?

A
  • Rate first, (at any pulse point)
    • Note the number of beats in one minute or take for 30 seconds and multiply it by 2.
  • Strength second (classify the stength of the pulse)
    • Bounding (stronger than normal), strong (normal), or weak (thready).
  • Regularity third
    • Regular or irregular (does it skip a beat, not in rhythm, etc…)

Example: 80 bpm, strong, regular

7
Q

Go over all the pulse points with a partner.

A
  • Femoral
  • Apical (check when you enter and leave world)
  • Carotid
  • Radial
  • Brachial
  • Temporal
  • Dorsalis Pedis (front of foot)
  • Popliteal (behind knee)
  • Posterior Tibialis (below bump on ankel)
8
Q

What are the normal pulse values for an adult, child, toddler, and newborn?

A
  1. Adult: 60-100
  2. Child: 70-120
  3. Toddler: 90-150
  4. Newborn: 120-160
9
Q

What is the term for slow and fast pulse? What values indicate a heart or slow pulse?

A
  1. Bradycardia: slow heart
    - under 60 (adult)
  2. Tachycardia: fast pulse
    - 100 or more (adult)
10
Q

What is blood pressure? What does a drop in BP indicate? What age should the patient be to check blood pressure?

A
  1. It is the pressure of the circulating blood against the walls of the arteries
  2. a. loss of blood
    b. loss of vascular tone
    c. cardiac pumping problem
  3. Three and up
11
Q

Which measurement pressures the heart during contraction and relaxation? What is BP measured in?

A
  1. a. Systolic: ventricular contraction
    b. diastolic: ventricular relaxation
  2. Measured in mmHG, millimeters of mercury
12
Q

What are the differences between auscultation and palpation readings?

A
  1. Auscultation: obtains diastolic and systolic
  2. Palpation: only systolic reading obtained
13
Q

What are the normal ranges of blood pressure?

A
  1. Adults:
    a. systolic= 100 - 140 mmHG
    b. diastolic= 60 - 90 mmHG
  2. Children:
    systolic= 80 to 110 mmHG
  3. Infants:
    systolic= 60 mmHG
14
Q

What is the term for high or low blood pressure?

A
  1. Hypertension: high blood pressure
  2. Hypotension: _low blood pressure _
15
Q

What are the systolic values for the carotid, femoral, or radial arteries?

A
  1. Carotid: at least 60 systolic
  2. Femoral: at least 70 systolic
  3. Radial: at least 80 systolic
16
Q

What is pulse pressure?

A
  • Pulse pressure is the difference bewtween systolic and diastolic readings
  • Ex: 120/80 = pulse pressure of 40
17
Q

How is blood pressure calculated?

A
  • BP = COxPVR
18
Q

What are orthostatic vital signs? What does it assess?

A
  1. Also known as postural vital signs.
    - take blood pressure and pulse when supine, sitting, and standing
    - wait 1 minute after changing positions
  2. Assessment for hypovolemia or shock
    - if pulse increases by 20 points or blood pressure decreases by 20 points, patient has hypovolemia_ _
    - Indicates%15 volume loss
19
Q

What are the places temperature can be administered? What is a normal value? Which tests the core temperature(most accurate)?

A
  1. a. Axillary
    b. Oral
    c. Rectal
    d. Other
  2. 98.6
  3. Rectal temp
20
Q

What are the characteristics of skin to look out for?

A
  1. Color:
    - pink, pale, flushed or jaundiced
  2. **Temperature: **
    - warm, hot or cool
  3. **Moisture: **
    - dry, moist, or wet
21
Q

What does capillary refil test? What does it test?

A
  1. Evaluates the ability of the circulatory system to restores blood to the capillary system
  2. Tested by depressing the patients fingertip and looking for return of blood