Put simply, body temperature is the amount of heat in the body. Core body temperature is controlled by a process called thermoregulation. No individual has the exact same temperature reading throughout the day as body temperature naturally fluctuates. Temperature is considered normal at A temperature over Hypothermia low temperature occurs when the body temperature dips below 95 degrees F 35 degrees C.
Thermometers are the tools we use to collect body temperature, and there are multiple options available to healthcare providers, such as glass thermometers, digital thermometers, tympanic ear thermometers, and rectal thermometers. Your thermometer of choice will ultimately depend on the needs of your organization. Although healthcare practitioners must know how to work with all types, today we most commonly use digital thermometers. Cover thermometer mouth tip with a clean plastic shield or clean before and after use for glass.
Note: Oral thermometers are not indicated for some individuals, such as those with a history of seizures. Digital thermometers can be used to take an axillary temperature by being placed under the armpit, against dry skin, for five minutes. Blood pressure is a reading of how effectively the oxygenating blood is moving through the blood vessels of the circulatory system.
Blood pressure is expressed in two parts: systolic pressure the pressure created when the blood pumps from the heart into the arteries over diastolic pressure the pressure inside the artery as the heart rests between beats. For adults, the systolic pressure should be less than and the diastolic pressure should be less than Low blood pressure is called hypotension and high blood pressure is called hypertension.
Instruments used to take blood pressure include a stethoscope , blood pressure cuff with inflatable balloon sphygmomanometer , and numbered pressure gauge called a digital monitor or aneroid monitor.
Disinfect stethoscope earpieces and diaphragm round disk. Wrap and fasten deflated cuff snugly around the upper arm at least one inch above where you felt the strong and steady brachial pulse.
Insert stethoscope earpieces and position diaphragm directly over the brachial pulse. Gently turn the knob on the air pump counter-clockwise to open the valve and deflate the cuff. Blood pressure is considered to be the most difficult of the vital signs to learn how to measure.
Interestingly enough, blood pressure is not even technically a vital sign, though it is always measured alongside other vital signs. With understanding, practice, and some help from medical equipment like vital sign monitors , anyone can learn to learn to take blood pressure measurements.
Vital signs serve as a communicator of patient status and are used to monitor acute to chronic disease, and everything in between. Among infants, children and the elderly, the methods and tools for measuring vital signs do not change in any significant way. The normal range values for pulse, respiration rate, and blood pressure vary among children depending on the age of the child. Body temperature is the one vital sign that does not change depending on age.
Vitals sign values do not change among the elderly values should fall within the range considered normal for adults , although occasionally vitals may be a bit more difficult to measure accurately in older adults. For the most accurate readings, it is best that the person not smoke, drink coffee, or exercise vigorously within 30 minutes before taking vitals. Vital signs are written using the LOINC internationally accepted standard coding system — take care to record vital signs using the correct and consistent format.
Always wash your hands before and after engaging with an individual to take vital signs. As well, ensure that all supplies are cleaned and sanitized per manufacturer instructions and stored away in the proper place.
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Main Navigation. What are Vital Signs? Heart Rate Pulse Heart rate, or pulse, is the number of times a heart beats per minute bpm. To take heart rate: 1. Wash your hands. Make sure that individual is at rest before you begin. With an analog clock or watch, wait until the second hand is on the Begin counting the beats of the pulse. Respiration Rate Respiration rate, sometimes referred to as breathing rate, is the number of breaths taken per minute.
To take respiration rate: 1. Document respiration rate, noting any observations such as wheezing. Vital signs are measurements of the body's most basic functions. The four main vital signs routinely monitored by medical professionals and health care providers include the following:. Blood pressure Blood pressure is not considered a vital sign, but is often measured along with the vital signs. Vital signs are useful in detecting or monitoring medical problems. Vital signs can be measured in a medical setting, at home, at the site of a medical emergency, or elsewhere.
The normal body temperature of a person varies depending on gender, recent activity, food and fluid consumption, time of day, and, in women, the stage of the menstrual cycle.
Normal body temperature can range from A person's body temperature can be taken in any of the following ways:. Temperature can be taken by mouth using either the classic glass thermometer, or the more modern digital thermometers that use an electronic probe to measure body temperature. Temperatures taken rectally using a glass or digital thermometer tend to be 0. Temperatures can be taken under the arm using a glass or digital thermometer. Temperatures taken by this route tend to be 0.
By ear. A special thermometer can quickly measure the temperature of the ear drum, which reflects the body's core temperature the temperature of the internal organs.
By skin. A special thermometer can quickly measure the temperature of the skin on the forehead. Body temperature may be abnormal due to fever high temperature or hypothermia low temperature. A fever is indicated when body temperature rises about one degree or more over the normal temperature of Hypothermia is defined as a drop in body temperature below 95 degrees Fahrenheit. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, mercury is a toxic substance that poses a threat to the health of humans, as well as to the environment.
Because of the risk of breaking, glass thermometers containing mercury should be removed from use and disposed of properly in accordance with local, state, and federal laws. Contact your local health department, waste disposal authority, or fire department for information on how to properly dispose of mercury thermometers.
The pulse rate is a measurement of the heart rate, or the number of times the heart beats per minute. As the heart pushes blood through the arteries, the arteries expand and contract with the flow of the blood. Taking a pulse not only measures the heart rate, but also can indicate the following:. The normal pulse for healthy adults ranges from 60 to beats per minute. The pulse rate may fluctuate and increase with exercise, illness, injury, and emotions. Females ages 12 and older, in general, tend to have faster heart rates than do males.
Athletes, such as runners, who do a lot of cardiovascular conditioning, may have heart rates near 40 beats per minute and experience no problems. As the heart forces blood through the arteries, you feel the beats by firmly pressing on the arteries, which are located close to the surface of the skin at certain points of the body. The pulse can be found on the side of the neck, on the inside of the elbow, or at the wrist. For most people, it is easiest to take the pulse at the wrist.
If you use the lower neck, be sure not to press too hard, and never press on the pulses on both sides of the lower neck at the same time to prevent blocking blood flow to the brain. When taking your pulse:. Using the first and second fingertips, press firmly but gently on the arteries until you feel a pulse. Count your pulse for 60 seconds or for 15 seconds and then multiply by four to calculate beats per minute.
If your doctor has ordered you to check your own pulse and you are having difficulty finding it, consult your doctor or nurse for additional instruction. The respiration rate is the number of breaths a person takes per minute.
The rate is usually measured when a person is at rest and simply involves counting the number of breaths for one minute by counting how many times the chest rises. Respiration rates may increase with fever, illness, and other medical conditions.
When checking respiration, it is important to also note whether a person has any difficulty breathing. Normal respiration rates for an adult person at rest range from 12 to 16 breaths per minute. Blood pressure is the force of the blood pushing against the artery walls during contraction and relaxation of the heart.
Each time the heart beats, it pumps blood into the arteries, resulting in the highest blood pressure as the heart contracts. When the heart relaxes, the blood pressure falls.
Two numbers are recorded when measuring blood pressure. The higher number, or systolic pressure, refers to the pressure inside the artery when the heart contracts and pumps blood through the body. The lower number, or diastolic pressure, refers to the pressure inside the artery when the heart is at rest and is filling with blood.
Both the systolic and diastolic pressures are recorded as "mm Hg" millimeters of mercury. This recording represents how high the mercury column in an old-fashioned manual blood pressure device called a mercury manometer or sphygmomanometer is raised by the pressure of the blood. Today, your doctor's office is more likely to use a simple dial for this measurement. High blood pressure , or hypertension, directly increases the risk of heart attack, heart failure, and stroke.
With high blood pressure, the arteries may have an increased resistance against the flow of blood, causing the heart to pump harder to circulate the blood.
Elevated blood pressure is systolic of to and diastolic less than Stage 1 high blood pressure is systolic is to or diastolic between 80 to Stage 2 high blood pressure is when systolic is or higher or the diastolic is 90 or higher.
These numbers should be used as a guide only.
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