Techniques Of Physical Assessment (Vital Signs)

ACTIVE LEARNING TEMPLATE: Basic Concept Mena Ismael STUDENT NAME______________________________________ Techniques of physical Assessment (Vital Signs). CONCEPT_______________________________________________________________________________ Related Content Underlying Principles (E.G., DELEGATION, LEVELS OF PREVENTION, ADVANCE DIRECTIVES) Vital signs are measurements of the body basic functions and include temperature, pulse, respiration, and blood pressure. Also many hospitals consider pain level and oxygen saturation vital signs. Temperature, reflects the balance between heat of the body produces and heat that is lost from the body to the environment. Pulse is the measurement of heart rate and rhythm. It provides information about circulatory status. Respiration is the body's mechanism for exchanging oxygen and carbon dioxide between the atmosphere, the blood, and cells of the body. This is accomplished through breathing and recorded as the number of breaths per minute. Blood pressure (BP) reflects the force the blood exerts against the walls of the arteries during cardiac muscle contraction (systole) and relaxation (diastole). Systolic blood pressure (SBP) occurs during ventricular systole, when the ventricles force blood into the aorta and pulmonary artery, and it represents the maximum amount of pressure exerted on the arteries when ejection occurs. Diastolic blood pressure (DBP) occurs during ventricular diastole, when the ventricles relax and exert minimal pressure against arterial walls, and represents the minimum amount of pressure exerted on the arteries. ACTIVE LEARNING TEMPLATES REVIEW MODULE CHAPTER____________ Nursing Interventions WHO? WHEN? WHY? HOW? Considerations Age: Respiratory rate decreases with aging. Newborns have an expected respiratory rate of 30 to 60/min. Children 3 to 5 years old have an expected respiratory rate of 20 to 25/min. Sex: Males and children are diaphragmatic breathers, and abdominal movements are more noticeable. Women use more thoracic muscles, and chest movements are more pronounced when they breathe. Pain in the chest wall area can decrease the depth of respirations. At the onset of acute pain, the respiration rate increases but stabilizes over time. Anxiety increases the rate and depth of respirations. Smoking causes the resting rate of respirations to increase. Body position: Upright positions allow the chest wall to expand more fully. Medications (opioids, sedatives, and general anesthetics) decrease respiratory rate and depth. Neurologic injury to the brainstem decreases respiratory rate and rhythm. Complications: Alterations in ventilatory patterns include the following: Bradypnea: Regular breathing pattern with a rate less than 12/min. Hypoventilation: Shallow breathing pattern with an abnormally low rate. Apnea: periods where there is no breathing. Ongoing apneic spells can lead to respiratory arrest. Tachypnea: regular breathing pattern with a rate greater than 20/min. Hyperventilation: Deep breathing pattern with an increased rate. Hyperpnea: Respiratory rate, depth, and work of breathing are increased. Cheyne-Stokes respirations: Irregular rate and depth of respirations that follow a cyclical pattern. Kussmaul respirations: Increased respiratory rate, regular pattern, but excessively deep. Illnesses can affect the shape of the chest wall. Impaired oxygencarrying capacity of the blood that occurs with anemia can result in increased depth and respiratory rate in order to compensate. Therapeutic Procedure A1