Vital signs are quick measurements that provide important information about a patient's status. The five standard vital signs are: blood pressure, pulse, respiration rate, body temperature, and pain. Blood pressure measures the force of blood flow, pulse measures heart rate, respiration rate measures breathing, temperature measures body heat, and pain is assessed due to its impact on other vital signs. Licensed medical professionals determine the meaning of vital signs, but they can be measured by any healthcare worker.

1. Physical Assessment: Vital Signs
Quick Review
AHM Unit 1

2. What are the vital signs?
• Measurements that are routinely taken to establish
patient status.
– Vital signs are quick and simple assessments that give us
lots on information about the patient.
• There are 5
– Blood pressure, pulse, respirations, temperature, and PAIN
– Oxygen Saturation is often checked along with the vitals,
but isn’t truly a vital sign.
• Almost any medical care worker can obtain these
measurements.
– However, it is up to a licensed person (RN, LPN, MD, etc.)
to determine what they mean.

3. Blood Pressure
• Measures the force of the blood against the
artery walls (indirect measure of heart’s
output).
– Recorded in mmHg
– Top number is Systolic (heart at work)
– Bottom Number is Diastolic (Heart at rest)
– Normal is >90/60 and <120/80 for adults

4. Pulse
• This is the rate that the heart is beating.
– Can be assessed by palpating the radial pulse or
auscultating the apical pulse.
– We measure the rate, rhythm, and the quality of
the pulse.
– Normal is >60 and <100 resting

5. Body Temperature
• The temperature of the body is an important
symptom.
– Measured usually orally, axillary, or rectally (most
accurate but only used when absolutely
necessary).
– Recorded in the US in degrees Fahrenheit.
– Normal is >96 and <99 (may vary by source)

6. Respirations
• The rate, pattern and quality of breathing.
– Best to measure without patient noticing.
– Watch for chest rise.
– Normal is >12 and <24

7. Pain
• Pain is considered a vital sign because it can
effect the other signs and is important to take
into account.
– Counting it as a vital sign also ensures it will be
assessed regularly, which improves patient care.
– Standard is to assess on a scale of 0 to 10, or using
the faces scale for young children and nonverbal
patients.