Health History Review and Vital Signs

Flashcards covering health history assessment components, ASA classifications, medical consult requirements, and vital sign standards based on clinical dental hygiene lecture notes.

Medical Alert

Any medical condition or disease that alters dental treatment, alters drugs used for dental treatment, places the patient at risk for a medical emergency, or could result in postoperative complications.

ASA I

A normal healthy patient who is a non-smoker/vaper/cannabis user, has minimal or no alcohol use, no current active allergies, and a blood pressure $<140$ and $<90$.

ASA II

A patient with mild or controlled systemic disease, such as well-controlled diabetes, asthma, or hypertension; also includes those who are pregnant, age 60+, obese, or smoke/vape.

ASA III

A patient with moderate to severe systemic disease that limits activity, such as stable angina, poorly controlled hypertension, or symptomatic respiratory disease.

ASA IV

A patient with severe systemic disease that is life-threatening, such as unstable angina or severe congestive heart failure; treatment is usually limited to urgent care, possibly in a hospital.

Medical Consult

A process of requesting additional information or advice from a patient's physician regarding conditions like anticoagulant therapy, autoimmune disorders, or heart conditions before beginning dental treatment.

Premedication Guidelines

Preventive antibiotics advised prior to dental procedures for patients with artificial heart valves, history of infective endocarditis, certain congenital heart conditions, or cardiac transplants with valve problems.

Systolic Pressure

The higher pressure and first number recorded in a blood pressure reading, representing the force blood exerts on artery walls as the heart contracts ($90$ to $120\text{ mmHg}$ is normal).

Diastolic Pressure

The lower pressure and second number recorded in a blood pressure reading, representing the residual pressure on the arteries as the heart relaxes between beats ($60$ to $80\text{ mmHg}$ is normal).

Hypertension Stage 1

A blood pressure categorization where the systolic is $130-139\text{ mmHg}$ or the diastolic is $80-89\text{ mmHg}$.

EWU Treatment Cut-off Policy

No treatment of any kind may be provided if the patient's systolic blood pressure is $160+$ OR the diastolic blood pressure is $100+$.

Hypertensive Crisis

An immediate medical concern occurring when systolic pressure is $180+$ or diastolic pressure is $120+$, requiring immediate referral to a physician.

White Coat Hypertension

A phenomenon where a patient's blood pressure is elevated in a clinical setting but normal in other environments.

Sphygmomanometer

Equipment used for measuring blood pressure, consisting of an inflatable bladder, a cuff, and a manometer gauge.

Palpatory Systolic Pressure

A preliminary step where the clinician palpates the brachial pulse and inflates the cuff until the pulse disappears to determine an estimated systolic reading and avoid falsely low measurements.

Normal Pulse Rate (Adults)

$60-100\text{ beats/minute}$.

Tachycardia

A pulse rate that is $100+$ beats per minute.

Bradycardia

A pulse rate that is $50-60$ or less beats per minute.

Normal Temperature Range

$97^{\text{o}} - 99.5^{\text{o}}\text{ F}$, with $98.6^{\text{o}}\text{ F}$ considered normal.

Pyrexia

An abnormal elevation of body temperature; also known as a fever.

Normal Respiratory Rate (Adults)

$12-18\text{ breaths/minute}$.

Tachypnea

A respiratory rate of $18+$ breaths per minute.

Bradypnea

A respiratory rate of $12$ or less breaths per minute.

Dyspnea

Difficult or labored breathing.