Vital Signs

Vital Signs

Poll

Do you have dirty dishes in your room right now?

• Yes

• No

Vitals?

When the characters say the word 'vitals', what kind of things do you think they are measuring?

Why are vitals so important? Why are they urgent?

Vitals

The four vital signs are:

• Temperature

• Heart Rate

• Respiratory (Breathing) Rate

• Blood Pressure

Why are they urgent?

Vital signs are the first clues that something is wrong in the body. They show how well the heart, lungs, and brain are working - and if something is failing, you can’t always see it from the outside.

Vitals help doctors decide who needs help first, what kind of help, and how fast to act.

​Vital Sign	​Units	​Normal Ranges
​Temperature	degrees celcius	36.5-37.5
​Heart Rate	beats per minute​	60-100​
Respiratory Rate​	​breaths per minute	12-20​
​Blood Pressure	​mmHg	100-140 (systolic) / 60-80 (diastolic)

​Can you think of anything else that might be useful to know in an emergency situation?

Glasgow Coma Scale

A neurological assessment tool used to determine a person's level of consciousness, particularly after a head injury

Oxygen Saturation

A measure of how much haemoglobin in the blood is carrying oxygen, expressed as a percentage.

Normal oxygen saturation levels in humans are generally between 95-100%.

It's a key indicator of how well the body is delivering oxygen to tissues.

Case Studies

1. Form groups of 3–4 students. Each group gets a full set of patient case cards and a whiteboard or mini-poster paper.

2. One by one, read and discuss each patient case. Write on your whiteboard: which vital signs are concerning, what might have happened, what should be done next?

3. We will come back together after 10 minutes and discuss.

Multiple Select

A person fainted. What do you do to know he/she is alive?

• Ask the person if he or she is ok.

• Check if he or she is breathing.

• Check if the person has pulse.

Multiple Choice

Which body temperature would be considered okay?

• 30°C

• 70°C

• 37°C

• 38°C

Multiple Choice

What is a pulse?

• Taking oxygen into the body through the lungs

• The average body temperature in human beings

• Number of heartbeats per minute

Multiple Choice

Highest pressure against blood vessels. Represented by first heat sound

• Diastolic pressure

• Systolic pressure

• Hypotension

• Hyperstension

Multiple Choice

Medical name for high blood pressure?

• Diastolic Pressure

• Systolic Pressure

• Hypotension

• Hypertension

Multiple Choice

What unit is blood pressure measured in?

• mmHg

• mimg

• mhg

• Pounds per Meter

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is the normal range for pulse?

• 60-100

• 80-100

• 12-20

• 60-80