Vital Signs

• VITAL SIGNS - Is the baseline procedure.
• Normal body temperature is maintained through a balance between heat production and heat loss.
• affected largely by the central nervous system control by Centre located in the hypothalamus.
• Located below the thalamus of the midbrain nearest to the pituitary gland.
• Basal Metabolic Rate - Amount of energy release in the body requires to maintain essential activity.
• Thyroxin - A hormone secreted by the thyroid gland, essential for normal growth and metabolism.
• Increase in Thyroxin output increases the rate of cellular metabolism. .
• Epinephrine and norepinephrine – chief hormone of normal adrenal medulla.
• Epinephrine and norepinephrine – Increase in these hormones immediately increases the rate of cellular metabolism in many body tissues.
• Sympathetic stimulation of brown fats cells stimulated they produce a large amount of heat.
• Fever increases metabolic rate and body’s temperature further.
• Radiation Is the transfer of heat from the surface of one object to the surface of another without contact with two objects.
• Evaporation/vaporation is the process by which water is converted into steam.
• Convection - Is the movement of heat from one another by current of heat or fluids.
• Convection - Transfer of heat form the hotter to the colder part.
• Environmental Temperature - Brief exposure to extreme cold stimulates the body to produce more heat.
• Conduction - Is the transfer of heat from any substance like air, water and clothing which comes in contact with the body.
• Diurnal Variations - The body temperature generally lowest in the early morning and highest in the afternoon and early evening following the day’s activity.
• The body temperature generally lowest in the early morning and highest in the afternoon and early evening following the day’s activity.
• Heat production is increase by exercise due to increased cell activity.
• Progesterone secretion at the time of ovulation raises the body temperature.
• old age 95-35.
• Highly stresses or anxious client could have an elevated body temperature.
• Stress can stimulate sympathetic nervous system leading to the increase in production of epinephrine-and-norepinephrine
• Fahrenheit Scale – is named after Gabriel Daniel Fahrenheit,
• Gabriel Daniel Fahrenheit, a German Physicist who invented the mercury thermometer in 1714.
• In these scale (F) water freezes at 32oF and boils at 212oF
• Celsius Scale – is named after a Swedish Scientist Anders Celsius who proposed the scale.
• Electronic - Battery operated unit
• Disposable Chemical - Thermometer is inserted in the client’s tongue and left in place for the time \recommended by the manufacture.
• PYREXIA – in lay term “FEVER” an elevated body temperature results higher than the normal value of 39.5 o C.
• HYPOTHERMIA – an abnormally low body temperature. Body temperature falls below 34.5 o C and could lead to death.
• HYPERTHERMIA – an abnormally high body temperature. A very high fever about 41 o C.
• Pulse - The ventricular contraction approximately 60-100 ml of blood enters the aorta, distending the aortic walls and creating the pulse wave.
• Pulse wave of blood created by the contraction by the left ventricle of the heart.
• (palpitated) peripherally
• heard (auscultator)
• Pulse rate is regulated by the autonomic nervous system.
• 1. Apical - apex of the heart (central pulse)
• Temporal pulse – temporal bone (superior and lateral to the eye).