Monitoring vital signs

Monitoring vital signs

1. temperature, pulse, respiration and blood pressure

   • Temperature
     • Body temperature is the balance between the heat produced and acquired by the body.
       • Temperature also varies depending on where it is taken: average normal body temperature, taken orally (in the mouth) or per axilla (in the armpit), is 36.7°C–37.2°C; taken rectally or in the ear (tympanic membrane), normal temperature is 37.4°C.
         • A child’s temperature can vary between 36°C and 37°C.
   • The pulse
     • The pulse is a pressure wave of blood caused by the alternating expansion and recoil of elastic arteries during each cardiac cycle.
       • The pulse rate is measured in beats per minute
         • The normal pulse rate for an adult at rest is 60–80 beats per minute. The normal pulse rate for an infant under one year old at rest is 80–120 beats per minute.
           • Pulse sites: radial artery, carotid, brachial, femoral, popliteal and dorsalis pedis arteries.
   • Respiration
     • The function of the respiratory system is to supply the body with oxygen and to remove carbon dioxide.
       • The normal respiration rate at rest is approximately 16 to 20 breaths per minute in adults
         • it is important like the other vital signs in some cases it may be the first sign that something is wrong
   • Blood pressure
     • Blood pressure is the pressure exerted laterally on the walls of the main arteries by the blood
       • Blood pressure is measured in millimetres of mercury (mmHg) and expressed as the juxtaposition of systolic pressure and diastolic pressure
         • systolic
           • The systolic pressure is a measure of the maximum pressure of the blood against the wall of the blood vessel following ventricular contraction.
             • The normal systolic blood pressure in a healthy young adult is less than 140mmHg.
         • diastolic
           • The diastolic pressure is a measure of the minimum pressure of the blood against the wall of the blood vessel following the closure of the aortic valve.
             • The normal diastolic pressure is less than 90mmHg.