Vital Signs

Taking Vital Signs

Elmira College

Why are they important?

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What are Vital Signs?

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​Heart Rate

​-Pulse

How many times a heart beats in a minute

-Where can we measure pulses?​

How do we describe what we hear?

• Lub, Dub (S1, S2)

• ​Regular vs Irregular

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​Heart Sounds

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Blood pressure is the pressure of circulating blood against the walls of blood vessels.

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​Blood Pressure

​Measuring Blood Pressure

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1. Onset

2. Location

3. Duration.

4. Character & Quality of the pain.

5. Aggravating/Provoking factors.

6. Alleviating factors.

7. Associated symptoms.

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​Pain

How many times a minute are they breathing?

Is the pattern regular?

Any difficulty?​

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​Respirations

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​Lung Sounds

​Pupils