Checking Of Vital Sing Definition Purpose And Procedure

Definition:

Vital signs are the measurement of body temperature, pulse rate, respiration rate, and blood pressure. Vital signs are indicators of one's overall health. They offer clues to diseases and help evaluate progress toward recovery. Vital signs should be taken at rest. Any abnormal findings should be repeated in order to verify the findings.All of these vital signs can be observed, measured, and monitored. This will enable the assessment of the level at which an individual is functioning. Normal ranges of measurements of vital signs change with age and medical condition.

Purpose:

• The purpose of recording vital signs is to establish a baseline on admission to a hospital, clinic, professional office, or other encounter with a health care provider.  The health care professional has the responsibility of interpreting data and identifying any abnormalities from a person's normal state, and of establishing if current treatment or medications are having the desired effect.
• Abnormalities of the heart are diagnosed by analyzing the heartbeat (or pulse) and blood pressure. The rate, rhythm and regularity of the beat are assessed, as well as the strength and tension of the beat, against the arterial wall.
• The vital signs are recorded and compared with normal ranges for a person's age and medical condition. Based on these results, a decision is made regarding further actions to be taken.
• All persons should be made comfortable and reassured that recording vital signs is normal part of health checks, and that it is necessary to ensure that the state of their health is being monitored correctly. 

Procedure Of Vital Checking :

• Body temperature

Body temperature is taken with a thermometer.In general, the normal oral temperature is 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (or 37 degrees Centigrade).The most common places to measure temperature include: 

• The mouth (oral temperature)
• Under the arm (axillary temperature)
• The anus (rectal temperature)

To record the temperature using  mercury thermometer, one should shake down the thermometer by holding it firmly at the clear end and flicking it quickly a few times, with the silver end pointing downward.   who is taking the temperature should confirm that the alcohol or mercury is below a normal body temperature.

To record an axillary temperature, the silver tip of the thermometer should be placed under the right armpit. The arm clamps the thermometer into place, against the chest. The thermometer should stay in place for three to four minutes. After the appropriate time has elapsed, the thermometer should be removed and held at eye level. During this waiting period, the body temperature will be measured The mercury will have risen to a mark that indicates the temperature of a person.

To record an oral temperature, the axillary procedure should be followed, except that the silver tip of the thermometer should be placed beneath the tongue for three to four minutes, then read as described previously.

In both cases, the thermometer should be wiped clean with an antiseptic and stored in an appropriate container to prevent breakage.

To record a rectal temperature, a rectal thermometer should be shaken down, as described previously. A small amount of water-based lubricant should be placed on the colored tip of the thermometer. Infants must be placed on their stomachs and held securely in place. The tip of the thermometer is inserted into the rectum no more than 0.5 in (1.3 cm) and held there for two to three minutes. The thermometer is removed, read as before, and wiped with an antibacterial wipe. It is then stored in an appropriate container to prevent breakage, because ingestion of mercury can be fatal.

• Pulse rate and rhythm

Checking  pulse rate is counting the number of times your beats in a minute. Pulse checks can be taken at the wrist (radial pulse) or at the neck (carotid pulse). Do not use your thumb; instead use your index and middle fingers. A resting adult heart rate should be between 60 and 90 beats a minute, average is 72 beat a minute.  Athletes may have lower rates. Children, depending on their age, will have higher pulse rates. 

• Respiratory rate

Checking  respiratory rate is counting the number of times take a breath in a minute. The best time to check the respiratory rate is at rest. To do this, count the number of times the chest rises for one full minute while breathing normally. The normal adult rate is 16 to 20 breaths per minute. Children breathe faster.

• Blood pressure

 The average blood pressure is 120 millimeters of mercury (systolic-the upper number), over 80 millimeters of mercury (diastolic-the lower number). A resting blood pressure of over 90 diastolic is considered mildly elevated; over 100 may require treatment.

If the blood pressure is monitored manually, a cuff is placed level with the heart and wrapped firmly but not tightly around the arm one inch above the elbow over the brachial artery. Wrinkles in the cuff should be smoothed out. Positioning a stethoscope over the brachial artery in front of the elbow with one hand and listening through the earpieces, the cuff is inflated well above normal levels (to about 200 mmHg), or until no sound is heard. Alternatively, the cuff should be inflated 10 mm Hg above the last sound heard. The valve in the pump is slowly opened. Air is allowed to escape no faster than 5 mmHg per second to deflate the pressure in the cuff to the point where a clicking sound is heard over the brachial artery. The reading of the gauge at this point is recorded as the systolic pressure.

The sounds continue as the pressure in the cuff is released and the flow of blood through the artery is no longer blocked. At this point, the noises are no longer heard. The reading of the gauge at this point is noted as the diastolic pressure. "Lub-dub" is the sound produced by the normal heart as it beats. Every time this sound is detected, it means that the heart is contracting once. The noises are created when the heart valves click to close. When one hears "lub," the atrioventricular valves are closing. The "dub" sound is produced by the pulmonic and aortic valves.