VITAL SIGNS
WHAT ARE VITAL SIGNS?
Vital signs are measurements of the body's most
basic functions.
The four main vital signs routinely monitored include the following:
▪Respiration rate
▪Pulse rate
▪Body Temperature
▪Blood pressure
WHAT ARE VITAL SIGNS?
Vital signs are an objective measurement of the
essential physiological functions of a living
organism.
These measurements are termed "vital" as their
measurement and assessment is the critical first
step for any clinical evaluation. Vital signs are
indicators of a person’s health condition.
RESPIRATION RATE
RESPIRATION RATE
The respiratory rate is the number of breaths per
minute and is defined as the one breath to each
movement of air in and out of the lungs.
Normal respiration rates for an adult person at rest
range from 12 to 20 breaths per minute.
RESPIRATION RATE
In the pediatric age group, it is defined by the
particular age group.
Age (years) Respiration rate (breaths per minute)
Under 1 30-60
1-2 25-35
2-5 25-30
5-12 20-25
12+ 12-20
RESPIRATION RATE
Parameters that need to be included are its rate,
depth of breathing, and its pattern of breathing.
RESPIRATION RATE
1. Rate - the number of breaths you take in a
one-minute period while at rest.
Eupnea - normal, good, healthy, and unlabored
breathing.
Apnea - the complete cessation of airflow to the
lungs for a total of 15 seconds; pause in
breathing
RESPIRATION RATE
Rates higher or lower than expected are called
tachypnea and bradypnea, respectively.
Tachypnea - RR of more than 20 breaths per minute,
- rapid, shallow breathing
▪ could occur in physiological conditions like exercise,
emotional changes, pregnancy, and pathological
conditions like pain, pneumonia, pulmonary embolism,
asthma, etc.
RESPIRATION RATE
Bradypnea - RR of less than 12 breaths/minute
-abnormally slow breathing rate/
slower than usual for their age and activity levels.
▪can occur due to worsening of any underlying
respiratory condition leading to respiratory failure
▪due to usage of central nervous system
depressants
RESPIRATION RATE
Dyspnea - Shortness of breath. It is often
described as an intense tightening in the chest,
air hunger, difficulty breathing, breathlessness, or
a feeling of suffocation.
Orthopnea - shortness of breath that occurs while
lying flat and is relieved by sitting or standing.
RESPIRATION RATE
2. Depth of breathing
The degree of chest-wall movement during
inspiration and expiration. The inability to speak
in full sentences or increased effort to speak is an
indicator of discomfort when breathing.
RESPIRATION RATE
Hyperpnea - increase in the depth of breathing,
with or without an increase in respiratory rate.
Hyperventilation - described as both an increase
in the rate and depth of breathing (and letting out
more air than you take in.)
Hypoventilation - decreased rate and depth of
ventilation.
RESPIRATION RATE
3. Breathing pattern
When we are at rest this is how normal breathing,
usually appears:
Breathing in (inhalation) for 1 to 1.5 seconds.
Breathing out (exhalation) for 1.5 to 2 seconds.
An automatic pause of almost no breathing for 1 to
2 seconds.
RESPIRATION RATE
PULSE RATE
PULSE RATE
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.
PULSE RATE
Taking a pulse not only measures the heart rate
but also can indicate the following:
• Heart rhythm
• Strength of the pulse
The normal pulse for healthy adults ranges from 60
to 100 beats per minute. The pulse rate may
fluctuate and increase with exercise, illness, injury,
and emotions.
PULSE RATE
1. Rate - number of times your heart beats per
minute
Age (years) Pulse rate (beats per minute)
Under 1 120-160
1-3 80-130
3-5 8.-120
5-12 75-110
12+ 60-100
PULSE RATE
Tachycardia - refers to a high resting heart rate.
- can be a normal response to exercise
or stress or a sign of disease.
Bradycardia - is a slower than normal heart rate,
which can lead to a range of symptoms such as
feeling faint, tired, or short of breath.
PULSE RATE
2. Rhythm - is the pattern of electrical impulses
that make the heart muscle squeeze and pump.
Assessing whether the rhythm of the pulse is
regular or irregular is essential.
PULSE RATE
An arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat, is a problem
with the rate or rhythm of your heartbeat.
Your heart may beat too quickly, too slowly, or with
an irregular rhythm.
It is normal for your heart rate to speed up during
physical activity and to slow down while resting or
sleeping.
PULSE RATE
3. Pulse Strength / Volume – is related to the
amount of blood pumped with each heartbeat or
the force associated with each contraction.
▪A normal pulse is one that can be felt with mild
pressure on the artery.
PULSE RATE
▪A thready pulse or weak pulse is one that is
difficult to feel or obliterated easily with slight
pressure.
▪A bounding pulse is a strong throbbing felt over
one of the arteries in the body.
BODY TEMPERATURE
BODY TEMPERATURE
Body Temperature - is a measure of how well your
body can make and get rid of heat; usually
measured to obtain a quick evaluation of a
person's health.
The human body temperature typically ranges from
36.5 to 37.5 degrees centigrade (97.7 to 99.5
degrees Fahrenheit).
BODY TEMPERATURE
Fever is the temporary increase in the body's
temperature in response to a disease or illness.
Febrile or pyrexial if the temperature exceeds
37.8°C
Hyperpyrexia is the term applied to the febrile state
when the temperature exceeds 41.1°C (or 106°F).
Afebrile – without fever
BODY TEMPERATURE
Fever is the temporary increase in the body's
temperature in response to a disease or illness.
Febrile or pyrexial if the temperature exceeds
37.8°C
Hyperpyrexia - the temperature exceeds 41.1°C.
Afebrile – without fever
Hypothermia - a drop in body temperature
BODY TEMPERATURE
Body temperature is affected by many sources of
internal and external variables.
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.
BLOOD PRESSURE
BLOOD PRESSURE
Blood pressure is the force of circulating blood
against the artery walls, mainly in large arteries of
the systemic circulation, during contraction and
relaxation of the heart.
BLOOD PRESSURE
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.
BLOOD PRESSURE
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.
BLOOD PRESSURE
According to the 2017 ACC/AHA Guideline for the Prevention,
Detection, Evaluation, and Management of High BP in Adults
BP Category SBP, mm Hg DBP, mm Hg
Normal <120 and <80
Elevated 120–129 and <80
Hypertension
Stage 1 130–139 or 80–89
Stage 2 ≥140 or ≥90
BLOOD PRESSURE
Hypertension (high blood pressure) is when the
pressure in your blood vessels is higher than
normal.
High blood pressure is often called the "silent
killer" because most people who have it don't have
any symptoms. And that silence can be deadly.
High blood pressure can lead to a host of serious
problems, including heart attack, heart failure, and
stroke.
BLOOD PRESSURE
Things that increase the risk of having high blood pressure
include:
▪ older age
▪ genetics
▪ being overweight or obese
▪ not being physically active
▪ high-salt diet
▪ drinking too much alcohol
BLOOD PRESSURE
Low blood pressure occurs when blood pressure is
much lower than normal. This means the heart,
brain, and other parts of the body may not get
enough blood. Normal blood pressure is mostly
between 90/60 mmHg and 120/80 mmHg. The
medical word for low blood pressure is
hypotension.
