Unit 7

1. Unit 7 Vital Signs Assessment

2. Vital Signs • Pulse • Respiration • Blood pressure • Temperature

3. The Pulse • Reflects condition of patient’s circulatory system and cardiac function • Pulse is found in the artery • Vessel that carries blood away from the heart to the rest of the body • Absence of a pulse indicates cardiac arrest or death

4. The Pulse • Use fingers to palpate an artery to listen for the heartbeat • Normal pulse rate for an adult • 60-100 beats per minute • In a trained athlete • 50-60 beats per minute

5. Respiration • Process of bringing oxygen into body • Used by cells • Expels carbon dioxide as a waste product from cells • Single respiration consists of one inspiration and one expiration

6. Respiration • General guidelines for normal rates are: • 15 years and older: • 15-20 breaths per minute • Well-trained athlete: • 6-8 breaths per minute

7. Respiratory Patterns • Abdominal • Apnea • Bradypnea • Cheyne-Stokes respiration

8. Respiratory Patterns • Dyspnea • Hyperpnea • Kussmaul’s breathing • Labored breathing

9. Blood Pressure • Systolic • Diastolic

10. Blood Pressure Terms • Hypotension • Low blood pressure • Hypertension • High blood pressure

11. Blood Pressure Terms • Sphygmomanometer • Blood pressure cuff • Measures a person’s blood pressure along with a stethoscope

12. Body Temperature • Core temperature • Must remain within a relatively narrow range in order for the body’s various systems to function efficiently

13. Body Temperature • Regulated by an area in the brain known as the hypothalamus • Group of cells monitors the temperature of the blood and responds to any change of temperature • Normal body temperature is 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit