Vital Signs

INFORMATION ABOUT THE

BASIC BODY CONDITIONS OF
PATIENTS
HAVE YOU EVER HAD YOUR
TEMPERATURE TAKEN

WHY?
BODY TEMPERATURE

DEFINE
NORMAL RANGE
BODY TEMPERATURE

MEASUREMENT OF THE
BALANCE BETWEEN HEAT
LOSS AND HEAT
PRODUCED IN THE BODY
 Temperature

Normal Ranges
Oral 97.6 - 99.6F (36.5 – 37.5C)
Rectal and Temporal 98.6-100.6F
(37- 38.1C)
Axillary 96.6- 98.6F (36-37C)
Aural This provides a measurement
of body core temperature so there is
no normal range.
BODY TEMPERATURE

FACTORS THAT CHANGE BODY

TEMPERATURE
DEFINE HYPERTHERMIA,
HYPOTHERMIA AND FEVER
INDENTY 5 SITES TO CHECK
TEMPERATURES
FACTORS THAT CHANGE
BODY TEMPERATURE

ILLNESS AND INFECTION

EXERCISE AND/OR
EXCITEMENT
HIGH/LOW TEMPERATURES IN
THE ENVIRONMENT
HOW IS HEAT LOST?

PERSPIRATION
RESPIRATION
EXCRETION
 HOW IS HEAT
PRODUCED

METABOLISM OF FOOD
 FEVER

TEMPERATURE ABOVE 100.4

 HYPERTHERMIA

TEMPERATURE ABOVE 104

– DEATH AND CONVULSIONS
• TEMPERATURE ABOVE 106
 HYPERTHERMIA

PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO
HOT TEMPERATURES
BRAIN DAMAGE
SERIOUS INFECTION
 HYPOTHERMIA

TEMPERATURE BELOW 95
– DEATH
• TEMPERATURE BELOW 93
 HYPOTHERMIA

STARVATION OR FASTING
DECREASE IN MUSCLE
ACTIVITY
COLD TEMPERATURES IN THE
ENVIRONMENT
Five Sites to Measure
Temperature

Oral
Axillary/Groin
Temporal
Aural
Rectal
Types of Thermometers

Clinical (oral, axillary and

rectal)
Electronic (oral, axillary, and
rectal)
Tympanic- aural
Temporal Scanning- temporal
Clinical Thermometer

A clinical thermometer is a glass

thermometer
They can be filled with mercury or
alcohol with red dye
The component expands when
exposed to heat
To avoid Mercury poisioning OSHA
recommends alcohol or digital
thermometers
 Reading a Clinical
Thermometer

Hold the thermometer at eye

level
Rotate it slowly to find the solid
column of mercury or alcohol
The thermometer is read at the
point where the line ends
 Reading a Clinical
Thermometer

Each long line is read as 1

degree
Each short line represents 2/10
of a degree .2
Temperature is always recorded
to the nearest 2/10 of a degree
Reading Thermometers

Electronic, tympanic and

temporal thermometers are
easy to read because they have
digital displays.
 Documenting
Temperature

98 is an oral reading
99 (R) is a rectal reading
97 (Ax) is an axillary reading
100 (A) is an aural reading
101 (T) is a temporal reading
 Conversion

Converting Fahrenheit to
Celsius
C= (F-32)x5/9 or 0.5556
Converting Celsius to
Fahrenheit
F=(Cx9/5 or 1.8)+32