Notes
Slide Show
Outline
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Baseline Vital Signs
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Vital Signs
  • Breathing: Rate, quality
  • Pulse: Rate, character, rhythm
  • Skin: Color, temperature, condition
  • Pupils: Reactivity, equality
  • Blood pressure
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To assess level of consciousness:
  • A - Alert and awake; aware of time, place, date and person
  • V - Responds to verbal stimuli
  • P - Responds to painful stimuli, does not respond to verbal stimuli
  • U - Unconscious, does not respond to
    any stimuli
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Breathing Assessment
  • Rate
    • Averages 12-20 breaths per minute
      in adults
  • Quality
    • Normal respirations?
    • Shallow respirations?
    • Labored respirations?
    • Noisy respirations?
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Abnormal Respiratory Sounds
  • Grunting
  • Stridor
  • Snoring
  • Wheezing
  • Gurgling
  • Crowing
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Assessing the Pulse
  • Rate
    • Averages 60-80 beats per minute
      in adults
  • Quality
    • Strength (strong or weak)
  • Rhythm
    • Regular or irregular
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Assessment of the Skin
  • Color   (nail beds, oral mucosa, conjunctiva)
    • Pink?
    • Pale?
    • Cyanotic?
    • Flushed?
    • Jaundiced?
  • Temperature
    • Warm?
    • Hot?
    • Cool or cold?
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Assessment of the Skin continued
  • Condition
    • Dry?
    • Wet or moist?
    • Abnormally dry?
    • Clammy (cool & moist)?
  • Capillary refill 
    (considered an inaccurate indicator of perfusion in patients over the age of 6 years)
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To assess the pupils:
  • First evaluate in ambient light for constriction or dilation.
  • Next, pass a light source across each pupil and note the response.
  • Each pupil should constrict in the same manner.
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SAMPLE History
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