1. IMPORTANCE OF VITAL
STATISTICS
ROSE PAUL
FOURTH YEAR PART1

2. CONTENTS
 Introduction
 Indications
 Factors affecting vital signs
 Temperature
Nomal body temperature
Types of thermometer
 Pulse
Pulse sites
Counting the pulse
Apical pulse
Radial pulse
 Respiratory rate

3. Abnormal respirations
 Blood pressure
Procedure for measuring blood pressure
 Conclusion

4. INTRODUCTION
 Vital signs are the evidence of the current physical
functioning of the body.
 They provide critical information that is 'vital' for life,
called vital signs.
 Temperature
 Respiratory rate
 Pulse rate
 Blood pressure

5. INDICATION
 When a person is admitted to a health care facility
 While taking case history
 Before and after surgical procedures
 Before taking medications that affect the circulatory
and respiratory system
 Whenever the person complains of pain,shortness of
breath,rapid heart rate or not feeling well.
 Several times a day for hospitalized persons.

6. oIllness
oEmotions – anger,fear,anxiety,pain
oExercise and acivity
oAge
oSex
oEnvironment – weather
oFood and fluid intake
oMedications
oTime of day - decrease in the morning,increasein the afternoon/
evening.
oNoise
FACTORS AFFECTING VITAL SIGNS

7. TEMPERATURE
 Body temperature is the amount of heat in the
body.
 It is the balance between the amount of heat
produced and the amount of heat lost.
 Body temperature is measured in one of four
areas of the body
the mouth – oral
the rectum – rectal
the axilla – axillary
the ear – tympanic

8.  We now also have the temporal site – forehead.
 Most temperatures are taken orally
 Rectal temperatures are the most accurate
 Axillary temperatures are the least accurate

9. NORMAL BODY TEMPERATURE
SITE NORMAL RANGE
oral 98.6 97.6 to 99.6
Rectal 99.6 98.6 to 100.6
Axillay 97.6 96.6 to 98.6
Tympanic 98.6 98.6
Temporal 98.6 98.6

10. TYPES OF THERMOMETERS
 GLASS THERMOMETER

11.  READING IN GLASS THERMOMETER
o The scale is marked from 94 to 108
o The long lines represent one degree
o The short lines represent two tenths of a degree
o Only every other degree is marked with a number

12.  ELECTRONIC THERMOMETR
 DIGITAL THRMOMETER
 DISPOSABLE ORAL THERMOMETER

13.  TYMPANIC THERMOMETER
 TAKING AN ORAL TEMPERATURE

14.  TAKING A RECTAL TEMPERATURE
 TAKING AN AXILLARY TEMPERATURE

15. PULSE
 The pulse is the Beat of the heart felt at the Artery as a
wave of blood passes through the artery.
 Apulse is felt every time the heart beats.
 Pulse is same in all pulse sites of the body.
 The pulse is the indication of how the cardiovascular
system Is meeting the bodys needs.
 Pulse rate is affected by many factors _age, fever,
Exercise, fear, anger, anxiety, Excitement, heat, position
and pain.

16.  PULSE SITES

17.  COUNTING THE PULSE
 We usually count a pulse for 30seconds and multiply the
number 2timea to get the pulse rate for 1minute.
 We note the rhythm of the heart beat-if the heart neat is
irregular we count the pulse for a full minute.
 We alse observe the force of the heart beat.
 Pulse may feel –strong/weak, Full/thready, bounding/feeble.

18. APICAL PULSE
 Taken using a stethoscope , counted by placing the
stethoscope over the heart.
 Counted for one full minute.
 The heart beat normally sounds like a Lub-dub. Each lub
dub is counted as one heart beat.
 Do not count the lub as one heart beat her.
 Apical pulse is take on patients having- heart diseases,
irregular pulse rate, or Taken medication that can affect
the heart.

19. RADIAL PULSE
 Most common site used for taking pulse
 Can be taken without disturbing or exposing the person.
 Place the first two or three fingers of one hand over the radial
artery.
 Radial artery is on the thumb side of the wrist.
 Use a gentle pressure
 Cont the pulse for 30seconds and multiply by 2.

20.  Normal adult pulse rate is 60to 100beats per minute.
 Tachycardia-heaet rate over100
 Bradycardia- heart rate below 60

21. RESPIRATORY RATE
 One respiration consists of one inspiration and one
expiration.
 Chest rises during inspiration and falls during expiration.
 Count each time the chest rises.
 Count for 30seconds and then multiply by 2.
 Do not let the person know you are counting their
respiration.
 Count after taking the pulse, keep your fingers on the
respiratory sites.
 Normal respiratory rate for adults is 12-20 breaths per
minute.

22. ABNORMAL RESPIRATIONS
 Tachypnea- respiratory rate over20
 Bradypnea- respiratory rate below 12
 Dyspnea- shortness of breath, difficulty in breathing.
 Apnea- no breathing
 Hyperventilation- Fast and deep repirations
 Hypoventilation- slow and shallow repirations.

23. BLOOD PRESSURE
 It is the measurement of the amount of force the blood
excert against the artery wall.
 Sysyolic pressure- pressure excerted when the heart muscle
is contracting.
 Diastolic pressure- pressure excerted when the heartuscle
is relaxing between the beats.
 Blood pressure is recorded as a fraction with the systolic
pressure on the top and the diastolic pressure on the
bottom.
 Sysyolic/diastolic =120/80
 Bp is measured in mm of hg.

24. NORMAL BLOOD PRESSURE
 Average adult systolic range- 100to 140
 Average adult diastolic range -60 to 90
ABNORMAL BLOOD PRESSURE
 Hypertension- measurements above the normal systolic or
diastolic pressures.
 Hypotension- measurements below the normal systolic or
diastolic pressures.
FACTORS THAT AFFECT BLOOD PRESSURE
 Age, gender, blood volume, stress, Pain, exercise, weight,
race, diet, medications, position.

25.  The proper name for a blood pressure cuff is-
sphygmomanometer

26. PROCEDURE FOR MEASURING THE BLOOD
PRESSURE
1.WRAP THE CUFF ABOVE THE ELBOW WITH THE ARROW POINTING TO THE BRACHIAL ARTERY
2.LOCATE THE BRACHIAL PULSE. THIS IS WHERE THE STETOSCOPE WILL BE PLACED.
FATHE STETHOSCOPE EARPIECES AND DIAPHRAGM WITH ALCOHOL.
STEN THE CUFF SO IT FITS SNUGLY.
3.THE PLACE THE DIAPHRAGM OF THE STETHOSCOPE FLAT ON THE PULSE SITE, HOLDING IT IN
PLACE WITH THE INDEX AND MIDDLE FINGERS OF ONE HAND.LOCATE THE RADIAL
PULSE CLOSE THE VALVE ON THE BP CUFF BY TURNING IT TO THE RIGHT (CLOCKWISE).
INFLATE THE CUFF UNTIL YOU CAN NO LONGER FEEL THE RADIAL PULSE. ,THEN
.INFLATE THE CUFF 30 MM HG BEYOND THIS POINT.

27.  4. DEFLATE THE CUFF SLOWLY BY OPENING THE VALVE SLIGHTLY AND TURNING IT
COUNTERCLOCKWISE (TO THE LEFT) WITH YOUR THUMB AND INDEX FINGER. ALLOW
THE AIR TO ESCAPE SLOWLY WHILE LISTENING FOR A PULSE SOUND
5. NOTE THE READING AT WHICH YOU HEAR THE FIRST CLEAR, REGULAR PULSE SOUND.
THIS NUMBER IS THE SYSTOLIC PRESSURE
6 CONTINUE LISTENING UNTIL THE SOUND DISAPPEARS. THIS IS THE DIASTOLIC PRESSURE.
NOTE THIS READING
7. OPEN THE VALVE COMPLETELY TO DEFLATE THE CUFF. REMOVE THE CUFF FROM THE
PATIENT.

28. CONCLUSION
 Measurements of vital signs Helps to asses the general
physical health of a person, gibe clues to possible
diseases, and show progress towards recovery.
 The normal ranges for a person’s vital signs vary with age,
weight, gender and overall health

29. THANK YOU