2. VITAL SIGNS
Blood Pressure
Heart Rate
Respiratory Rate
BMI
Body Temperature
3. BLOOD PRESSURE
What is blood pressure?
Force of blood against the walls of the arteries
Systolic pressure
Force of blood in the arteries as the heart contracts
Measured as first beat
Diastolic pressure
Force of blood in the arteries as the heart relaxes
Measured as the point when no more sounds are heard
Blood pressure is written with the systolic number on
top and the diastolic number on the bottom
4. HOW TO TAKE BLOOD PRESSURE
1. Have the patient sit with his or her arm at heart level
2. Wrap the cuff around the arm above the elbow with the
bladder centered over the brachial artery (follow
arrows)
3. Position your stethoscope over the brachial artery in the
cubital fossa and inflate the cuff to about 200mmHg
4. Turn the knob to slowly release pressure listening for a
heart beat, the pressure reading when you hear the first
beat is the systolic pressure
5. Continue releasing slowly until all the sounds fade and
disappear, the pressure when you first hear no sound is
the diastolic pressure
6. Completely release pressure rapidly to zero
5. Hypertension
(High Blood Pressure)
Systolic (mmHg) Diastolic (mmHg)
Normal Less than 120 AND Less than 80
Prehypertensive 120-139 or 80-89
Hypertension stage 1 140-159 or 90-99
Hypertension stage 2 ≥160 or ≥100
Hypertensive Crisis ≥180 or ≥110
-Hypotension is blood pressure that is lower than normal: i.e. 100/60
-A hypertensive crisis indicates an emergency and the patient should go to the ED
6. HEART RATE
• Heart rate is the number of times the heart beats per minute
• Can be taken at various peripheral and central locations
• For most pulses, use your second and third finger pads and
apply gentle pressure to the artery
• Names in RED can be tested during this session
PERIPHERAL
CENTRAL
• Temporalis
• Brachial artery Carotid
• Radial artery Aortic
• Popliteal artery Femoral
• Posterior tibial
• Dorsalis Pedis
8. ABNORMAL HEART RATES
• Rhythm refers to the character of the heart
beat
– Can be strong, weak, bounding, irregular
• Tachycardia
– Faster than normal heart rate Beats per
Minute
• Bradycardia
Normal 60-100
– Slower than normal heart rate
Normal 100-160
• A thready pulse refers to one Infant
Tachycardia >100
that is weak and fast
Bradycardia <60
9. RESPIRATORY RATE
Respiratory rate is the number of breaths per minute
Easily measured by watching chest expansions
It is important not to tell your patient that you are
recording his or her breathing rate
A good trick is to watch or feel chest rise while pretending
to be taking a pulse
Hyperventilation
Breaths per
Faster than normal respiration
minute
Hypoventilation
Normal 12-20
Slower than normal respiration
Hyperventilation >20
Hypoventilation <12
10. BMI
Body mass index is a measurement of
body fat based on height and weight
Not an entirely accurate measurement
(athletes or body builders)
BMI = kg/m2 or (lbs x 703)/in2
Classification BMI
Underweight <18.5
Normal 18.6-24.9
Overweight 25-29.9
Obese 30-39.9
Morbidly Obese >40
11. BODY TEMPERATURE
Fever
Pros
Can kill some infectious organisms
Enhance some immune factors
Cons
Can cause disorientation and confusion
Produces excess stress on the heart
Temperature
Hypothermia <35° C (<95°F)
Normal 36.7° C–37.8° C (98-100°F)
Fever >37.9° C (>100.3°F)
Hyperthermia >41° C (>105.8°F)
