How to Take Vital Signs

These instructions are for people who are interested in checking their own
vital signs or wanting to know their health standards. Vitals signs should be
often taking so that an individual can learn more about their body condition.
Things that are needed when taking vital signs
-Digital thermometer that uses an electronic probe to measure body
temperature.
-Plastic Cap
-Blood pressure cuff
-Stethoscope

Introduction
What are Vital Signs?
Vital signs are measurements of the body's most basic functions. The four

main vital signs routinely monitored by medical professionals and healthcare

providers include the following:

body temperature

pulse rate

respiration rate (rate of breathing)

Blood pressure

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.

Note: For People who are taking vital signs from their home it may limit
the amount of vitals signs that can be taking (Due to the limited
availability of the required equipment in ones home).

What Is Body Temperature?

Body temperature can vary depending on the gender, recent activity, food and
fluid consumption, time of the day, and, in women, the stage of the menstrual
cycle. Due to the causes of these symptoms they can have an affect on the
normal body temperature that may cause it to be a little off or odd. Normal
body temperature, according to the American Medical Association, can range
from 97.8 F (or Fahrenheit, equivalent to 36.5 C, or Celsius) to 99 F (37.2
C).

Familiarization of the Thermometer

Become familiarized with the thermometer as shown below. There are
different varieties of thermometers that are used to take body temperature.
Most of the time people use the more modern digital thermometers that use
an electronic probe to measure body temperature. There are numerous ways
to take body temperature. For example, body temperature can be taking by

the mouth, rectum, and by the ear. If there any reason that may seem a little
confusion turn back to this particular page.

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Step 1- Have the patient sit in an upright position. (Patient should not move
and be relax as possible).
Step 2- Insert the probe bulb into the plastic cap.

Warning: If the plastic cap is not wrapped on the thermometer, germs can
easily be spread.
Step 3- Tell the patient to open his or her mouth wide with his or her tongue
upward, and gently place the thermometer underneath the tongue.

Step 4- Once the thermometer is underneath the tongue ask them to close his
or her mouth and then begin taking their body temperature.
Step 5- Push the button. The thermometer will beep and a number will
appear, indicating in degrees Fahrenheit the temperature of the patients body.
When done with this procedure, dispose the plastic cap in a sanitary manner.
.

What is the pulse rate?

Taking a pulse rate is checking the number of times the heart beats per
minute. When checking a pulse it also checks the heart rhythm and the
strength of the pulse. For example, the strength or weakness of the pulse
indicates overall heart-health. The normal pulse for healthy adults ranges from
60 to 100 beats per minute.
Step 1- Relax the patient arm on the table. The patients palm should be
facing the ceiling and the fingers should be relaxing as well.
Step 2- Use the first and second fingertips, and place it on the patients wrist
or where the forearm meets the upper arm press firmly but gentle on the
arteries until one can feel a pulse. (As the picture shown below)

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Step 3- Keep hand on the pulse and begin counting the pulse. Count the
second hand on whatever the number that was start from. Count pulse for 60
seconds (or for 15 seconds and multiply by four to calculate beats per
minute).
Note: When counting, concentrate on the beats. Try not to watch the
clock continuously, so it does not become confusing.
Step 4- Chart down the results when done. If one is unsure about the result
ask someone to watch the clock while one counts the beats.

What Is the Respiration?

Respiration is the number of breaths a person takes per minutes. While
counting the number of times a persons chest rises. When taking respiration it
is important that one pays close attention to the chest. A normal respiration
would be 15-20 breaths per minutes.
Note: When taking respiration do not tell the person that he or she is
being watching breathing. A person tends to breathe differently when they are
aware of someone checking their respiration.
Step 1- Tell the patient to sit up straight and relax and breathe.
Step 2- As the patient is breathing gently place hands on their upper chest
and middle back. Then look at the chest as it rises.
Steps 3- When the chest rises then begin to count to a full minute. Once the
counting is finished then record how many times the chest rises and that will
be the answer.

What is Blood Pressure?

Blood pressure is measured with a blood pressure cuff and stethoscope. Each
heart beat pumps the blood in the arteries, the highest blood pressure as the
heart contracts. If one does not have an electronic blood pressure monitoring
then they are not able to take their blood pressure without this particular
equipment.
When measuring blood pressure there are two numbers that should be
recorded, they are systolic pressure and the diastolic pressure. The systolic
pressure is the higher number of pressure inside the artery when the heart
contracts and pumps the blood throughout the body. On the other hand the
diastolic is the lower number of pressure inside the artery when the heart is
resting and is filled with blood.

Note: When measuring blood pressure rest for three to five minutes without
taking a measurement.

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Step 1- Sit patient in a comfortable chair, with his or her back supported with
legs uncrossed. (No movement should be allowed).
Step 2- Place patient arm on a table or hard surface. Make sure the arm is
being relaxed and patient is comfortable.
Step 3- Wrap the cuff carefully around the patient upper part of the arm.
Note: The cuff should be sized easily for the patient, so that it would have
enough room for one fingertip to slip underneath.
Step 4- Place the stethoscope in the care giver ear. Then place the
Diaphragm underneath the cuff on the artery.

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Step 5- Care giver should pump the cuff to make sure that it works. Also turn
the knob to make sure there is no air in the cuff.
Step 6-The Care giver should begin pumping the cuff until the measurement
says 180. Slowly unleash the turning knob and listen to the heart beat.

Warning: If the cuff is pumped over the amount that is giving, it can cause
serious damage to the patient health.
Step 7- The first heart beat should be measured, and the least beat should be
measured and that will indicate the systolic pressure and diastolic pressure.

Conclusion: It is very important for people to learn about their vital signs.

It does
not necessary means doctors or health provider can take vital signs but an individual
can also. This particular technique can be use for any one, regardless if they are in the
health field or not.

Vital signs, or signs of life, include the following objective measures for a person:
temperature, respiratory rate, heart beat (pulse), and blood pressure. When
these values are not zero, they indicate that a person is alive. All of these vital
signs can be observed, measured, and monitored. This will enable the
assessment of the level at which an individual is functioning. Normal ranges of
measurements of vital signs change with age and medical condition.

Purpose
The purpose of recording vital signs is to establish a baseline on admission to a
hospital, clinic, professional office, or other encounter with a health care provider.
Vital signs may be recorded by a nurse, physician, physician's assistant, or other
health care professional. The health care professional has the responsibility of
interpreting data and identifying any abnormalities from a person's normal state,
and of establishing if current treatment or medications are having the desired
effect.
Abnormalities of the heart are diagnosed by analyzing the heartbeat (or pulse)
and blood pressure. The rate, rhythm and regularity of the beat are assessed, as
well as the strength and tension of the beat, against the arterial wall.
Vital signs are usually recorded from once hourly to four times hourly, as required
by a person's condition.
The vital signs are recorded and compared with normal ranges for a person's age
and medical condition. Based on these results, a decision is made regarding
further actions to be taken.
All persons should be made comfortable and reassured that recording vital signs
is normal part of health checks, and that it is necessary to ensure that the state of
their health is being monitored correctly. Any abnormalities in vital signs should
be reported to the health care professional in charge of care.

Description
Temperature
Temperature is recorded to check for fever (pyrexia or a febrile condition), or to
monitor the degree of hypothermia.
Manufacturer guidelines should be followed when recording a temperature with
an electronic thermometer . The result displayed on the liquid crystal display
(LCD) screen should be read, then recorded in a person's medical record.
Electronic temperature monitors do not have to be cleaned after use. They have
protective guards that are discarded after each use. This practice ensures that
infections are not spread.
An alcohol or mercury thermometer can be used to monitor a temperature by
three methods:
Axillary, under the armpit. This method provides the least accurate results.
Orally, under the tongue. This method is never used with infants or very
young children because they may accidentally bite or break the
thermometer. They also have difficulty holding oral thermometers under
their tongues long enough for their temperatures to be accurately
measured.
Rectally, inserted into the rectum. This method provides the most accurate
recording of recording the temperature. It is most often used for infants. A
recent study reported that rectal thermometers were more accurate than
ear thermometers in detecting high fevers. With the ability to detect lowgrade fevers, rectal thermometers can be useful in discovering serious
illnesses, such as meningitis or pneumonia. The tip of a rectal thermometer
is usually blue, which distinguishes it from the silver tip of an oral, or
axillary thermometer.
To record the temperature using an alcohol or mercury thermometer, one should
shake down the thermometer by holding it firmly at the clear end and flicking it

quickly a few times, with the silver end pointing downward. The health care
provider who is taking the temperature should confirm that the alcohol or mercury
is below a normal body temperature.
To record an axillary temperature, the silver tip of the thermometer should be
placed under the right armpit. The arm clamps the thermometer into place,
against the chest. The thermometer should stay in place for three to four minutes.
After the appropriate time has elapsed, the thermometer should be removed and
held at eye level. During this waiting period, the body temperature will be
measured The alcohol or mercury will have risen to a mark that indicates the
temperature of a person.
To record an oral temperature, the axillary procedure should be followed, except
that the silver tip of the thermometer should be placed beneath the tongue for
three to four minutes, then read as described previously.
In both cases, the thermometer should be wiped clean with an antiseptic and
stored in an appropriate container to prevent breakage.
To record a rectal temperature, a rectal thermometer should be shaken down, as
described previously. A small amount of water-based lubricant should be placed
on the colored tip of the thermometer. Infants must be placed on their stomachs
and held securely in place. The tip of the thermometer is inserted into the rectum
no more than 0.5 in (1.3 cm) and held there for two to three minutes. The
thermometer is removed, read as before, and wiped with an antibacterial wipe. It
is then stored in an appropriate container to prevent breakage, because ingestion
of mercury can be fatal.

Respiratory rate
An examiner's fingers should be placed on the person's wrist, while the number
of breaths or respirations in one minute is recorded. Every effort should be made
to prevent people from becoming aware that their breathing is being checked.
Respiration results should be noted in the medical chart.

Heart beat (pulse)

The pulse can be recorded anywhere that a surface artery runs over a bone. The
radial artery in the wrist is the point most commonly used to measure a pulse. To
measure a pulse, one should place the index, middle, and ring fingers over the
radial artery. It is located above the wrist, on the anterior or front surface of the
thumb side of the arm. Gentle pressure should be applied, taking care to avoid
obstructing blood flow. The rate, rhythm, strength, and tension of the pulse should
be noted. If there are no abnormalities detected, the pulsations can be counted
for half a minute, and the result doubled. However, any irregularities discerned
indicate that the pulse should be recorded for one minute. This will eliminate the
possibility of error. Pulse results should be noted in the health chart.

Blood pressure
To record blood pressure, a person should be seated with one arm bent slightly,
and the arm bare or with the sleeve loosely rolled up. With an aneroid or
automatic unit, the cuff is placed level with the heart and wrapped around the
upper arm, one inch above the elbow. Following the manufacturer's guidelines,
the cuff is inflated and then deflated while an attendant records the reading.
If the blood pressure is monitored manually, a cuff is placed level with the heart
and wrapped firmly but not tightly around the arm one inch above the elbow over
the brachial artery. Wrinkles in the cuff should be smoothed out. Positioning
a stethoscope over the brachial artery in front of the elbow with one hand and
listening through the earpieces, the cuff is inflated well above normal levels (to
about 200 mmHg), or until no sound is heard. Alternatively, the cuff should be
inflated 10 mm Hg above the last sound heard. The valve in the pump is slowly
opened. Air is allowed to escape no faster than 5 mmHg per second to deflate
the pressure in the cuff to the point where a clicking sound is heard over the
brachial artery. The reading of the gauge at this point is recorded as the systolic
pressure.

The sounds continue as the pressure in the cuff is released and the flow of blood
through the artery is no longer blocked. At this point, the noises are no longer
heard. The reading of the gauge at this point is noted as the diastolic pressure.
"Lub-dub" is the sound produced by the normal heart as it beats. Every time this
sound is detected, it means that the heart is contracting once. The noises are
created when the heart valves click to close. When one hears "lub,"
theatrioventricular valves are closing. The "dub" sound is produced by the
pulmonic and aortic valves.
With children, the clicking noise does not disappear but changes to a soft muffled
sound. Because sounds continue to be heard as the cuff deflates to zero, the
reading of the gauge at the point where the sounds change is recorded as the
diastolic pressure.
Blood pressure readings are recorded with the systolic pressure first, then the
diastolic pressure (e.g., 120/70).
Blood pressure should be measured using a cuff that is correctly sized for the
person being evaluated. Cuffs that are too small are likely to yield readings that
can be 10 to 50 millimeters (mm) Hg too high. Hypertension (high blood
pressure) may be incorrectly diagnosed.

Preparation
As there may be no recorded knowledge of a person's previous vital signs for
comparison, it is important that a health care professional be aware that there is
a wide range of normal values that can apply to persons of different ages. The
health care professional should obtain as detailed a medical history from the
person as soon as possible. Any known medical or surgical history, prior
measurements of vital signs, and details of current medications should be
recorded, as well. Physical exertion prior to measurement of vital signs, such as
climbing stairs, may affect the measurements. This should be avoided
immediately before the measurement of one's blood pressure. Tobacco,
caffeinated drinks, and alcohol should be avoided for 30 minutes prior to
recording.

A person should be sitting down or lying comfortably to ensure that the readings
are taken in a similar position each time. There should be little excitement, which
can affect the results. The equipment required include a watch with a second
hand, an electronic or other form of thermometer, an electronic or
manualsphygmomanometer with an appropriate sized cuff, and a stethoscope.

Normal vital signs, from the top: heart rate, arterial blood pressure (ABP), central venous
pressure (CVP), pulmonary artery pressure (PAP), blood oxygen (PLETH), and respiration
rate. (
Photograph by James King-Holmes. Science Source/Photo Researchers. Reproduced by permission
.)

Normal results
A normal body temperature taken orally is 98.6F (37C), with a range of 97.8
99.1F (36.537.2C). A fever is a temperature of 101F (38.3C) or higher in an
infant younger than three months or above 102F (38.9C) for older children and
adults. Hypothermia is recognized as a temperature below 96F (35.5C).

Respirations are quiet, slow, and shallow when the adult is asleep, and rapid,
deeper, and noisier during and after activity.
Average respiration rates at rest are:
infants, 3440 per minute
children five years of age, 25 per minute
older children and adults, 1620 per minute
Tachypnea is rapid respiration above 20 per minute.
The strength of a heart beat is raised during conditions such as fever and
lowered by conditions such as shock or elevated intracranial pressure. The
average heart rate for older children (aged 12 and older) and adults is
approximately 72 beats per minute (bpm). Tachycardia is a pulse rate over 100
bpm, while bradycardia is a pulse rate of under 60 bpm.
Blood pressure is recorded for older children and adults. A normal adult blood
pressure reading is 120/80.
See also Physical examination .