Health Assessments & Vital Signs: Key Concepts and Normal Ranges

Hypertension

Blood pressure 130 or above multiple times

Vital signs

Means of assessing vital or critical physiological functions

Normal vital signs in adults - heart rate

60-100 bpm

Normal vital signs in adults - blood pressure

120/80 mmHg

Normal vital signs in adults - oxygen saturation

90-100% SpO2

Normal vital signs in adults - respiratory rate

Around 16 breaths per minute

Normal vital signs in adults - body temperature

Around 35.8-37.5 °C (96.4-99.5 °F)

Delegation

Giving a task to a smaller license

Temperature - oral

In sublingual pocket

Temperature - axillary

Has to be touching skin

Temperature - rectal

Core temp and most accurate except for low platelet count for no bleeding and low immune system

Fever (pyrexia)

Higher body temp above normal response to pyrogens

Hyperpyrexia

Abnormally high body temp above 105 °F

Hypothermia

Core temp below normal

Phases of fever

1. Initial temp starts rising, 2. It levels out, 3. The fever starts to break and patient starts getting cold

Pulse - radial

On the arm

Pulse - brachial

In the arm

Pulse - carotid

In the neck

Pulse - temporal

On the temples

Pulse - dorsalis pedis

Top of foot

Pulse - femoral

In the groin fold

Pulse - popliteal

Behind the knee

Pulse deficit

Hear a heartbeat but do not feel

Bradycardia

Heart rate too low

Tachycardia

Heart rate too fast

Respirations - apnea

No breathing

Respirations - bradypnea

Slow breathing

Respirations - tachypnea

Too fast breathing

Sleep apnea

Absence of breathing when laying down

Adventitious sounds

Like wheezes, abnormal sounds

Diminished breath sounds

Heard with poor inspiratory effort

Blood pressure factors

Gender, family history, lifestyle, exercise, body position, stress, etc.

Blood pressure methods - indirect

Most common method

Blood pressure methods - direct

Done only in inpatient with a catheter into an artery for accurate and continuous reading

Orthostatic hypotension

Decrease in SBP of 20 mmHg or decrease in DBP of 10 mmHg within three minutes of standing

Symptoms of orthostatic hypotension

Dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting caused by dehydration, aging, and medications

Heart sounds - aortic

2nd intercostal right of sternal border S1 and S2

Heart sounds - pulmonic

2nd intercostal left of sternal border

Heart sounds - Erb's point

3rd intercostal left of sternal border

Heart sounds - tricuspid

4th intercostal left of sternal border

Heart sounds - mitral

5th midclavicular further left