VS

• Vital signs should be assessed on admission to a healthcare agency, when a client has a change in health status or reports symptoms, and before and after surgery or an invasive procedure

  
• Body temperature is a measurement of our body’s ability to make or expel heat, regulated by the hypothalamus
• Compensatory mechanisms of the body to control body temperature include widening blood vessels and sweating when warm, and constricting blood vessels and shivering when cold
• Routes to measure body temperature include temporal, tympanic, rectal, oral, and axillary, each with specific normal ranges and client types
• Types of fevers include intermittent, remittent, relapsing, and constant, each with different temperature fluctuation patterns
• Nursing interventions during fever include monitoring vital signs and skin color, encouraging fluid intake, tepid sponge bath, dry clothing and linens, antipyretics, and monitoring lab values
• Pulse is a shock wave produced by the contraction of the heart, with a normal rate for adults between 60 and 100 beats per minute

  
• Pulse deficit is a condition where the apical pulse rate is greater than the radial pulse rate, indicating a heart condition like atrial fibrillation
• Terminologies related to pulse include pulse rhythm, dysrhythmia, pulse volume, arterial elasticity, bradycardia, and tachycardia
• Respirations are the act of breathing, with rate and character providing clues to the client’s overall health status
• Body temperature is a measurement of the body's ability to make or expel heat

  
• The hypothalamus is the thermoregulation center of the body
• Compensatory mechanisms of the body to control body temperature:

  • When warm, blood vessels widen to carry heat to the skin's surface and sweating occurs
  • When cold, blood vessels constrict to keep organs warm and shivering helps create heat
• Different routes to measure body temperature:

  • Temporal: normal range (36.3°C-37.9°C), easy and quick to obtain
  • Tympanic: normal range (36.7°C-38.3°C), easy and quick but accuracy not supported in research
  • Rectal: most indicative of core body temperature, but not for clients with rectal issues
  • Oral: easy and accurate, not for clients with oral surgery or who are mouth breathers
• Types of heat transfer:

  • Conduction: heat transfer between molecules
  • Radiation: transfer of energy in waves and particles
  • Convection: dispersion of heat by air currents
  • Vaporization/Evaporation: continuous evaporation of moisture from respiratory tract and skin
• Types of fevers:

  • Intermittent: alternates between fever and normal temperatures
  • Remittent: wide temperature fluctuations above normal
  • Relapsing: short febrile periods interspersed with normal temperature
  • Constant: fluctuates minimally but always above normal
• Pulse is a shock wave produced by the heart's contraction, with a normal rate between 60-100 beats per minute

  
• Pulse deficit: condition where apical pulse rate is greater than radial pulse rate, indicating a heart condition like atrial fibrillation
• Terminologies related to pulse:

  • Pulse rhythm: regularity of heartbeat
  • Dysrhythmia: irregular heartbeat
  • Pulse volume: strength of force exerted by blood against arterial wall
• Terminologies related to pulse:

  • Arterial elasticity: artery feels straight, resilient, and springy
  • Bradycardia: heart rate less than 60 bpm in adults
  • Tachycardia: heart rate over 100 bpm in adults
• Respirations are the act of breathing, with rate and character providing clues to the client's overall health status