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Nursing Skills (Vital Signs) PDF
Nursing Skills (Vital Signs) PDF
Misbah Khan
Lecturer DIONAM,DUHS
Objectives
At the completion of this unit learners will be able to:
• Body temperature
• Pulse
• Respiration
• Blood pressure
• Pain
Body Temperature
Body Temperature
• Body temperature is the balance between heat produced in the
body and heat loss from the body.
• Surface Temperature
Temperature of the skin and subcutaneous tissue. It fluctuates
depending on the blood supply to the skin and the amount of heat
loss to the external environment.
Regulation of Body Temperature
• The system that regulates body temperature has three main parts:
➢ Sensors in the periphery and in the core
➢ An integrator in the hypothalamus
➢ An effector system that adjusts the production and loss of heat.
Most sensors or sensory receptors are in the skin. The skin has more
receptors for cold than warmth. Therefore, skin sensors detect cold
more efficiently than warmth. When the skin becomes chilled over
the entire body, three physiological processes to increase the body
temperature take place:
1. Shivering increases heat production.
2. Sweating is inhibited to decrease heat loss.
3. Vasoconstriction decreases heat loss.
Behavioral
• When an individual perceives he is hot or cold, he
changes his behavior such as:
– Moves to the shade or sun
• Hypertension
A blood pressure that is persistently above normal is called
hypertension
• Hypotension
Hypotension is a blood pressure that is below normal
• Orthostatic
Hypotension is a blood pressure that decreases when the client
sits or stands.
Factors Affecting Blood Pressure
• Age
• Exercise
• Stress
• Race
• Gender
• Medications
• Obesity
• diurnal variations
• medical conditions
• temperature.
Blood Pressure Assessment Sites
• The blood pressure is usually assessed in the client’s upper
arm using the brachial artery and a standard stethoscope.