Vital Signs

• Vital Signs - refers to measurement of the client’s body temperature (T), pulse (P) rate, respiratory (R) rate, and blood pressure (BP)
• Sequence of measuring Vital Signs:

  1. Temperature
  2. Pulse Rate
  3. Respiration Rate
  4. Blood Pressure
• Body Temperature - the heat of the body measured in degrees
• Thermoregulation

  • Core Body Temperature
  • Surface Body Temperature
• Thermoregulation

  Core Body Temperature - the temperature of the deep tissues of the body, such as the abdominal cavity and pelvic cavity. ; remains relatively constant. ; maintained within a range of 36.0oC (96.8oF) to 37.5oC (99.5oF). ; Core temperatures are measured at tympanic or rectal areas
• Surface body temperature - is temperature of the skin, the subcutaneous tissue, and fat. • rises and falls in response to the environment. • measured at oral (sublingual) and axillary sites.
• Hypothalamus - Thermoregulatory center of the body
• Heat Balance - When the amount of heat produced by the body equals the amount of heat lost
• Heat Production

  • Metabolism
  • Shivering
  • Piloerection
• Heat Production

  Metabolism - primary source of heat in the body
• Metabolism

  • Basal metabolic rate - rate of energy utilization in the body required to maintain essential activities such as breathing (decreases with age)
• Metabolism

  • Muscle activity - exercise & shivering, increases the metabolic rate
• Metabolism

  • Thyroxine output & epinephrine/norepinephrine - increase metabolic rate
• Metabolism

  • Inflammation/Fever - increase metabolic rate.
• Heat Production

  Shivering - response that increases the production of heat, is initiated by hypothalamus resulting to muscular tremors
• Heat Production

  Piloerection (goosebumps) - reduces the size of the surface to minimize heat loss.
• Heat Loss - The energy lost by the body due to the transfer of heat from the body to the surroundings.
• Skin - the primary site of heat loss
• Mechanisms of Heat Loss

  • Radiation
  • Conduction
  • Convection
  • Evaporation
• Mechanisms of Heat Loss

  Convection - the dispersion of heat by air currents (a fan blows currents of air across the surface of a worm body)
• Mechanisms of Heat Loss

  Evaporation - the conversion of liquid to a vapor (body fluid in the form of perspiration and insensible loss is vaporized from the skin)
• Mechanisms of Heat Loss

  Conduction - Transfer of heat to another object of lower temp during direct contact (The body transfer heat to an ice pack, causing the ice to melt)
• Mechanisms of Heat Loss

  Radiation - rom the surface of one object to the surface of another without contact (thru infrared rays) (The body gives off waves of heat from uncovered surfaces)
• Regulation of Body Temperature

  • Shivering increases heat production.
  • Sweating is inhibited to decrease heat loss
  • Vasoconstriction decreases heat loss
• Factors Affecting Body Temperature

  • Circadian Rhythms/Diurnal Variations
  • Age and Sex
  • Environmental Temperature
  • Stress
• Factors Affecting Body Temperature

  • Circadian Rhythm/Diurnal Variation (LOWEST temp is reached during sleep between from 4am to 6am early morning) (PEAK elevation of body temp occurs in late afternoon, between 4pm and 6pm)
• Factors Affecting Body Temperature

  • Age & Sex - both the very young & very old are more sensitive to changes in environmental temperature • >75 years, are at risk of hypothermia (temperatures below 36°C, or 96.8°F) • Women tend to have more fluctuations in body temperature than men because of the increase in PROGESTERONE secretion during ovulation as much as 0.3°C to 0.6°C (½ - 1 degree °F)
• Factors Affecting Body Temperature

  Environmental Temperature

  • Hypothermia –low body temperature
  • Hyperthermia –high body temperature
• Factors Affecting Body Temperature


  Stress –due to increase epi/norepi