Vitals Skill Flashcards
Week1
What are the 5 primary vitals to check?
Blood pressure (BP), pulse, respiration, skin, and pupils
What are the two components of a BP reading?
Systolic and Diastolic pressure
Whats an average systolic pressure
120mmHg
Whats an average diastolic pressure
80mmHg
Where do you locate the pulse for taking BP?
Brachial artery at the anterior medial elbow
Which pressure do you hear first in the stethoscope?
Systolic pressure (the higher number)
How do you find the diastolic pressure?
The last auditory pulse in the stethoscope
Define Systolic
The pressure against the walls of the artery caused by the heart contracting
Define Diastolic
The pressure against the walls of the artery when the heart is relaxing
What are the three components of Pulse
rate, rhythm, quality
Which fingers do you use to obtain a pulse?
index and middle
Why do you not use your thumb?
The thumb has its own pulse, and can interfere with your reading
What are the three components of respiration?
Rate, rhythm, and depth
How should you measure respiration if irregularity is suspected?
Measure for 60 seconds instead of 30.
What is a typical reading?
12bpm, regular, normal
Define rate for respiration
Number of breaths in 60 seconds
Define rhythm for respiration
regular vs irregular
Define depth for respiration
deep, shallow, normal
What are the three components of skin vitals?
color, temperature, and condition
What is a normal reading for skin?
unremarkable, warm, dry
How do you measure skin condition?
Using back of hand, test the skin on the neck for most accurate results
Why do you use your back of the hand instead of palm?
Palm is normally warmer, moister, and less sensitive.
Define Color conditions for skin
unremarkable, jaundiced (yellow), pale, cyanotic (blue), mottled, flushed, etc
Define temperature conditions for skin
cool, warm, hot, etc
