Abby Gayle N.

Julian
12 – FLC

1. Vital signs are measurements of the body's most basic functions. The four main vital
signs routinely monitored by medical professionals and health care providers. Vital
signs are useful in detecting or monitoring medical problems. Vital signs can be
measured in a medical setting, at home, at the site of a medical emergency, or
elsewhere.

2. Additional vital statistics that may be of use to identify a predisposition to a disease

or disorder and that assist with proper dosing of medication include weight and
height. Vital signs give you a baseline when a patient is healthy to compare to the
patient’s condition when they aren’t healthy.

3. TEMPERATURE

A. ORALLY - Temperature can be taken by mouth using either the classic glass
thermometer, or the more modern digital thermometers that use an electronic
probe to measure body temperature.
B. AXILLARY- Temperatures can be taken under the arm using a glass or digital
thermometer. Temperatures taken by this route tend to be 0.3 to 0.4 degrees F
lower than those temperatures taken by mouth.

BLOOD PRESSURE - To record blood pressure, a person should be seated with one arm bent
slightly, and the arm bare or with the sleeve loosely rolled up. With an aneroid or automatic unit,
the cuff is placed level with the heart and wrapped around the upper arm, one inch above the
elbow. Following the manufacturer's guidelines, the cuff is inflated and then deflated while an
attendant records the reading.
RESPIRATORY RATE - An examiner's fingers should be placed on the person's wrist,
while the number of breaths or respirations in one minute is recorded. Every effort
should be made to prevent people from becoming aware that their breathing is being
checked. Respiration results should be noted in the medical chart.