Vital Signs and Assessment
84 flashcards by MentisLibrary
Normal ranges from newborn through older adult, the technique that makes each measurement trustworthy, and the abnormal findings that matter. Includes breath sounds, heart sounds, neurologic checks, grading scales and the assessment sequences worth memorizing.
- What is the normal adult heart rate?
- 60-100 beats per minute
- What is the normal adult respiratory rate?
- 12-20 breaths per minute
- What blood pressure is considered normal in an adult?
- Below 120 systolic and below 80 diastolic
- What is the normal adult oral temperature?
- About 36.5-37.5 degrees Celsius, or 97.7-99.5 degrees Fahrenheit
- What is the normal adult oxygen saturation?
- 95-100 percent on room air
- What are the normal vital sign ranges for a newborn?
- Heart rate about 100-160, respiratory rate about 30-60, and systolic blood pressure roughly 60-90
- What are the normal vital sign ranges for an infant of 1-12 months?
- Heart rate about 100-150, respiratory rate about 25-40
- What are the normal vital sign ranges for a toddler of 1-3 years?
- Heart rate about 90-140, respiratory rate about 20-30
- What are the normal vital sign ranges for a preschooler of 3-5 years?
- Heart rate about 80-120, respiratory rate about 20-25
- What are the normal vital sign ranges for a school age child of 6-12 years?
- Heart rate about 70-110, respiratory rate about 18-22
- What are the normal vital sign ranges for an adolescent?
- Heart rate about 60-100, respiratory rate about 12-20, approaching adult values
- How do heart rate and respiratory rate change with age?
- Both are highest at birth and decline steadily toward adult values through adolescence
- How does blood pressure typically change with aging?
- Systolic pressure tends to rise as arteries stiffen, widening the pulse pressure
- Why can an older adult have a serious infection without a fever?
- Baseline temperature is lower and the febrile response is blunted with age
- What is pulse pressure and what does it indicate?
- The difference between systolic and diastolic pressure, normally about 30-40 mmHg
- What is mean arterial pressure and why does it matter?
- The average pressure driving blood into the tissues, generally kept above about 65 mmHg for organ perfusion
- What are orthostatic vital signs and how are they measured?
- Blood pressure and heart rate taken lying, then sitting, then standing, with a pause of 1-3 minutes between positions
- Why does a blood pressure cuff that is too small give a falsely high reading?
- It requires more pressure to compress the artery, so the recorded value exceeds the true pressure
- How does arm position affect a blood pressure reading?
- An arm below heart level gives a falsely high value, and an arm above heart level gives a falsely low value
- What are Korotkoff sounds?
- The series of sounds heard over the brachial artery as cuff pressure falls, with the first sound marking systolic and the disappearance marking diastolic pressure
- What is an auscultatory gap?
- A silent interval between the systolic and diastolic sounds that can cause the systolic pressure to be underestimated
- What is white coat hypertension?
- Elevated blood pressure measured in a clinical setting that is normal in daily life
- Where is the apical pulse assessed?
- At the fifth intercostal space, at the left midclavicular line
- What is a pulse deficit and what does it mean?
- The difference between the apical and radial rates, indicating beats that are not perfusing the periphery
- How is pulse strength graded?
- On a 0 to 4 scale, where 0 is absent, 1 is weak and thready, 2 is normal, 3 is increased, and 4 is bounding
- Which peripheral pulse sites are routinely assessed?
- Temporal, carotid, brachial, radial, femoral, popliteal, posterior tibial and dorsalis pedis
- What is normal capillary refill time?
- Less than 2 seconds
- How is peripheral edema graded?
- On a 1 to 4 plus scale by depth of the pit and how long the indentation persists
- What is the difference between central and peripheral cyanosis?
- Central cyanosis involves the lips, tongue and mucous membranes and reflects arterial desaturation, while peripheral cyanosis involves the extremities and often reflects poor local flow or cold
- Why can pulse oximetry read normal in carbon monoxide poisoning?
- The oximeter cannot distinguish carboxyhemoglobin from oxyhemoglobin, so it reports a falsely reassuring saturation