Week 2 MA 114 In Person Quiz

What are height and weight actually considered instead of “vital signs”?

anthropometric measurements

Purpose of gathering height and weight?

track growth

monitor patients with varying conditions

identify potential risk factors for disease

what should be removed when measuring weight?

shoes

heavier articles of clothing

carried items

what should be removed when measuring height?

shoes

hats

articles that add height

how should patient be positioned when measuring height?

per CDC, feet should be flat with heels together, and make contact with the measuring post. The patient should be standing up straight, chin flat, head straight and looking forward.

device used to measure height

stadiometer

BMI

body mass index

BMI Categories

healthy BMI = 19-24

overweight BMI = 25-29

obesity BMI = 30-39

severe obesity BMI = 40-50

BMI per the CDC

BMI can be used to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems, but it is not diagnostic of the body fatness or health of an individual.

procedures performed by medical assistant during pediatric office visits

vital signs

weight

length/height (once able to stand and follow instructions)

visual acuity

administer vaccines

assist with physical exam

afebrile (without signs of fever)

hypothermia: <95 F

normal temperature: 97-99 F

febrile (with signs of fever)

elevated temp/low grade fever: above normal (>99 F up to 100.3 F), until fever

fever: 100.4 F+

high-grade fever: 103 F

hyperpyrexia: 106 F

normal physiological factors of temperature variances

time of day (up during day, down during sleep & early morning)

exposure to environment (up if hot outside)

exercise (up)

digestion (up)

pregnancy (up)

temporary stress (up)

old age (elderly cannot regulate temperature as well)

disease related factors of temperature variances

infection (up)

dehydration (up)

thyroid disorders (up or down)

substance withdrawal after addiction (up)

hypothermia (down)

temperature methods

oral

temporal (forehead scan)

tympanic (inner ear scan)

axillary (probe held tightly under armpit)

rectal (probe inserted into rectum)

how to take oral temp

probe should be placed against the frenulum on either side, and left in place until a reading id given for highest accuracy.

temperature variances related to improper measuring (orally)

recently drank cold or warm beverage (up or down)

improper placement of probe under the tongue (down)

mouth not completely closed (down)

poor instructions or communication with the patient'

thermometer function problems

operator error (misread, on different settings, etc.)

temperature variances in different locations compared to oral

temporal: same

tympanic: same

axillary: 1 lower

rectal: 1 higher

pulse

the number of times the heart beats per minute

gives information about cardiovascular system

an indirect measurement of cardiac output, the amount of blood the heart is able to pump in one minute

pulse ranges

normal pulse rate: 60-100 bpm

bradycardia: slow heart rate (<60 bpm)

tachycardia: elevated heart rate (>100 bpm)

non-disease related factors of pulse variance

age (up in children, down in elderly)

recent activity (up)

anxiety, stress (up)

pregnancy (up)

medications (up or down, may be intentionally, or unintentional side effects)

fitness level (resting pulse rates down with prolonged physical fitness)

smoking (up)

disease related factors of pulse variance

infection (up)

dehydration (up)

anemia (up)

thyroid disorders (up or down)

low blood pressure (up)

methods of pulse measurement

temporal (temple)

carotid (neck)

brachial (inner elbow/bicep)

radial (wrist)

femoral (hip/groin)

popliteal (back of knee)

posterior tibial (back of ankle)

dorsalis pedis (top of foot)

apex of heart (ausculation)

pulse characteristics

rate - number of heart beats in one minute (simply counting)

rhythm - time intervals between each beat (does beat speed up or slow down suddenly)

volume - strength or force of the beat (soft, weak/’thready’, strong, bounding)

respiratory rate

the number of breaths taken per minute

each breath counted should be counted as witnessing one full respiration cycle, which includes one full inspiration and one full exhalation

indicates how well a patient’s body is providing oxygen to tissues

respiration ranges

normal: 12-20 rpm

bradypnea: slow respiration rate (<12 rpm)

tachypnea: fast respiration rate (>20 rpm)

respiration terms to know

dyspnea: difficult, labored or painful breathing, or feeling short of breath

apnea: the temporary absence of respirations

hyperventilation: excessive rate and depth of breathing

usual ratio of pulse to respiration

4:1

disease related respiration variances

asthma (up)

chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (emphysema, chronic bronchitis)(up)

pneumonia (up)

lower respiratory infections (up)

congestive heart failure (up)

opioid use, abuse, overdose (down)

lung sounds from top of airway to bottom

stridor: light wheezing sounds due to airflow blockage in back of throat or trachea

rhonchi: coarse, low-pitched rattling sounds, usually due partial bronchial airway obstruction. snoring is a form of rhonchi.

rales: crackling sounds, indicate fluid in lungs

age range that oral temp is not appropriate

children under 5

follow up question for abnormal readings

temperature: does the patient feel hot, cold, or ill?

pulse: is this normal for the patient? do they feel differently?

respirations: does the patient feel short of breath? ill?