Principles of Health Science Spring Review Notes

Vital Signs

  • Four places to obtain temperature:

    • Rectal

    • Oral

    • Temporal

    • Axillary

  • Most accurate temperature site: Rectal

  • Least accurate temperature site: Axillary

  • Most common site to take temperature: Oral

  • Factors that vary temperature:

    • Individual differences

    • Time of day

    • Exercise

    • Excitement

    • Location where temperature is taken

  • Three ways pulse can be described:

    • Rate

    • Rhythm

    • Volume

  • Seven arteries where pulse is often obtained, with locations:

    • Temporal: Side of forehead

    • Carotid: Neck

    • Brachial: Crease of elbow

    • Radial: Wrist

    • Femoral: Upper thigh

    • Popliteal: Behind knee

    • Dorsalis Pedis: Top of foot arch

  • Definitions:

    • Bradycardia: Slower heart rate

    • Tachycardia: Fast/rapid heart rate

    • Dyspnea: Difficulty breathing

    • Apnea: Without/lack of breath

    • Tachypnea: Rapid/fast breathing

    • Bradypnea: Slow breathing

    • Rales (Crackles): Bubbly sound caused by fluid

    • Wheezing: High-pitched whistle in the walls of arteries

    • Diastolic Pressure: Constant pressure when ventricles are relaxed

    • Systolic Pressure: Pressure when ventricles contract

    • Hypertension: High blood pressure, systolic > 140mmHg140 mmHg, diastolic > 90mmHg90 mmHg

    • Hypotension: Low blood pressure, systolic < 100mmHg100 mmHg, diastolic < 60mmHg60 mmHg

    • Apical pulse: Pulse taken at the apex of the heart

  • Procedure for checking blood pressure:

    • Assemble equipment

    • Identify artery above elbow

    • Wrap cuff

    • Place stethoscope

    • Inflate cuff, note reading when pulse is heard

Digestive System

  • Structure and function of parts of the digestive system:

    • Hard palate: Root of mouth, towards front, bony, separates mouth from nose

    • Soft palate: Behind hard palate, separates mouth from nasopharynx

    • Uvula: Cone-shaped structure, stops food from entering nasopharynx

    • Pharynx: Common passageway for food and air, receives bolus and prevents food from entering trachea

    • Villi: Finger-like projections on walls of small intestine, increase surface area for absorption

    • Stomach: Receives bolus, contains folds

    • Small intestine: Three sections (~2020 ft, coiled): duodenum, jejunum, ileum. Completes digestion and absorbs nutrients

    • Large intestine: Receives indigestible materials and excess water

    • Rectum: Final 6−86-8 inches, storage area, anal canal

    • Gall bladder: Stores bile from liver, contracts to push bile out

    • Liver: Largest gland, secretes bile to emulsify fats, located under diaphragm

  • Definitions of digestive processes:

    • Mastication: Physical breakdown of food by chewing/grinding

    • Bolus: Food mixed with saliva

    • Peristalsis: Involuntary wave-like motion to push food

    • Chyme: Bolus converted to semi-solid mass

  • Sections of the small intestine in order:

    • Duodenum, Jejunum, Ileum

  • Parts of the large intestine in order:

    • Cecum, Colon, Rectum

  • Parts of the colon in order:

    • Ascending, Transverse, Descending, Sigmoid

Nutrition

  • Definitions:

    • Digestion: Physical and chemical breakdown of food

    • Absorption: Taking in of nutrients by the body

    • Metabolism: Nutrients used by cells to build tissue, provide energy

    • Carbohydrate: Major energy source, cheapest source

    • Lipid: Concentrated energy source, maintains body temperature, provides insulation

    • Proteins: Basic component of all body cells, builds and repairs tissue

    • Vitamins: Organic compounds, essential to life, only effective in small amounts

    • Minerals: Inorganic elements found in body tissue

  • Fat-soluble vitamins: K, A, D, E

  • Formula to calculate BMI (Body Mass Index):

    • BMI=[weight (lbs)/height (in)2]∗703BMI = [weight \space (lbs) / height \space (in)^2] * 703

  • BMI ranges:

    • Underweight: < 18.518.5

    • Normal: 18.5−24.918.5 - 24.9

    • Overweight: 25−29.925 - 29.9

    • Obese: >= 3030

  • Five food groups:

    • Grains: Breads, pasta, rice

    • Vegetables: Broccoli, peas, leafy greens

    • Fruits: Vary, lemons, apples

    • Dairy: Milk, Yogurt, cheese

    • Protein: Meats, fish, poultry

  • Food groups considered a good source of fiber: Grains, Fruits, Vegetables

  • Recommended daily sodium intake for a healthy adult: 2300 mg

  • Recommended daily physical activity for children: 60 minutes

Body Mechanics/Accident Prevention/Fire Safety

  • Definitions:

    • OSHA: Occupational Safety and Health Administration

    • SDS: Safety Data Sheet

  • Acronyms:

    • RACE:

      • R: Rescue patients

      • A: Activate alarm

      • C: Confine the fire

      • E: Extinguish/evacuate

    • PASS:

      • P: Pull the pin

      • A: Aim at base of fire

      • S: Squeeze handle

      • S: Sweep

  • Three things needed to start a fire:

    • Oxygen

    • Fuel

    • Heat

  • Most common cause of fires: Carelessness with smoking/matches

CPR/First Aid

  • Emergency action steps: Recognize emergency, check the scene for safety

  • Check victim for safety, signs, smells, appearance, and conduct a full body check.

  • When to call 911 (or local emergency number):

    • Unconscious infant/child

    • Victim of submersion/near drowning

    • Victim with trauma/drugs

  • CPR ratio (adult): 30 compressions to 2 rescue breaths

  • Situations to move a victim:

    • Vomiting/bleeding

    • Dangerous location

  • Treatment for shock:

    • Eliminate the cause, improve circulation, maintain body temperature

  • Treatment for conscious choking victim: Heimlich maneuver (abdominal thrusts)

  • Cardiac chain of survival:

    • Recognize emergency

    • Early CPR

    • Rapid defibrillation

    • Advanced life support

    • Post-arrest care

  • Compression depth for adult CPR: At least 2 inches

  • Definitions:

    • Abrasion: Injury caused by rubbing/scraping skin

    • Laceration: Wound/injury with jagged, irregular edges

    • Avulsion: Injury caused when tissue is separated from body

    • Puncture: Wound/injury caused by pointed object

  • Characteristics and differences between burns:

    • First-degree burn: Redness, heals in 3-4 days without scarring

    • Second-degree burn: Blisters, swelling, pain, may take 3-4 weeks to heal with some scarring

    • Third-degree burn: Charred skin, severe pain or no pain, life-threatening, requires skin grafts, permanent scarring

  • Treatment for burns:

    • Remove heat source, cool the burn, relieve pain, observe for shock