vital signs

• Vital Signs: are the four key indications that the body systems are functioning. They are temperature, pulse, respiration, and blood pressure. 
• VSS: vital signs steady. 
• -Temperature: normal temperature is 98.6 F.
• • Hyperthermia: an extremely high body temperature. 
• • Hypothermia: an abnormally low body temperature
• -Pulse: rhythmic pressure against the walls of an artery that is caused by the beating of the heart
• • Normal resting heart rate is 60-100 for adults and 100-160 for infants. 
• -Respiration: is the number of completed breaths per minute. Normal rate is 12-20 a minute. 
• -Blood Pressure: the force of the blood against the walls of the arteries. 
• • Sphygmomanometer: instrument used to measure the force of the blood against the walls of the arteries. 
• • Systolic is the first beat heard and diastolic is the second. 
• Pain rating scale: patient is asked to measure pain on a scale of 1 to 10. 
• • Acute pain: severe and short
• • Chronic pain: mild to severe and long.