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Vital SignsProvide Support to Meet Personal
Care Needs
Updated by Jo Lewis BHS
Fiona O’Toole & Josie Ashmore
PERSONAL CARE WORKERS ROLE
• RecordAccording to workplace protocol
• Report Supervisor
GP
VITAL SIGNS
• Most frequent measurements taken by health care professionals
• Temperature, Pulse, Blood Pressure and Respiration’s
• Indicators of health status - measure the effectiveness of circulatory, respiratory, neural and endocrine body functions
• Alteration in vital signs may signal the need for further intervention
TEMPERATURE
• Oral Via Mouth, rarely used • Axilla Per Axilla (underarm)
Used infrequently• Tympanic Most common• Temple Recent introduction
Oral
Oral: • No longer used in Residential Care,
may still be used in home setting
• 3 minutes • Under tongue, lips closed• No hot or cold drinks beforehand
Per Axilla
ArmpitPreviously most common in aged
careUsed now if tympanic/temple not
available• 3 minutes• Skin surfaces to touch bulb• Record as p/a
Tympanic
• Most commonly used in aged care• As per instructions for each type• Apply cover• Pull the ear lobe up and backwards
to straighten the ear canal. • Insert into canal• Wait for beep
THE PULSE
• The bounding of blood flow we can feel at various points around our body
• Indicator of effective circulation• For our cells to function normally we
need continuous blood flow and volume• Blood flows around the body in a
continuous circuit, pumped by the heart
• Cardiac output = volume of blood pumped by the heart in one minute
• Changes in heart rate alter how well the heart pumps - leads to changes in BP
• As heart rate increases less time for heart to fill -less volume reduces BP
• As heart rate decreases filling time increases - normalises BP
Assessing the Pulse
• Any artery can be used to assess pulse rate
• Radial and carotid easiest• Carotid best in emergency situation -
heart will pump blood to brain for as long as possible
• When cardiac output drastically reduces peripheral pulses difficult to feel
Carotid pulse
Personal Care Workers
Use only the radial pulse point
Pulse points in the bodyRadial and apical locations most commonly used
Equipment needed:
• Watch with second hand
• Pen
• Documentation as per organisation
protocol
Factors which might affect pulse rate
• Age
• Exercise
• Position changes
• Medications
• Temperature
• Emotional distress/anxiety/fear
The steps for taking a radial pulse
• Collect equipment• Explain to client• Wash hands• Provide privacy if required• Place client’s forearm alongside or
across lower chest or abdomen (lying)• Bend client’s forearm at 90 deg angle
and support lower arm on chair• Make sure palm is facing downward
Steps for taking a radial pulse
• Place the tips of your first two fingers over the groove along the thumb side (radial side) of the client’s wrist
• Do not use your thumb!!!!• Lightly compress against the radius to
feel a pumping sensation• Determine the strength of the pulse - Is it strong, thready, bounding or weak ?
Work out the rate
• After pulse can be felt regularly, look at watch’s second hand and begin to count rate
• If pulse is regular count for 30 seconds and multiply by 2 (x2)
• If pulse is irregular, count rate for 60 seconds
Things to consider
• Rate• Rhythm - regular, regularly
irregular, irregularly irregular• Strength
Factors influencing pulse rates
• Exercise• Temperature - fever and heat• Drugs• Loss of blood (haemorrhage)• Postural changes - sitting or
standing• Lung conditions - poor oxygenation
Normal ranges
• INFANT - 120-160 bpm
• TODDLER - 90-140 bpm
• SCHOOLAGE - 75-100 bpm
• ADOLESCENT - 60-90 bpm
• ADULT - 60-100 bpm
Respiration• Our survival depends on the ability of O2
and CO2 to be removed from the cells
• Respiration exchanges gases between the atmosphere and the blood and cells
• Ventilation = the movement of gases in and out of the lungs
• Regulated by the respiratory centre in our brain
Normal breathing• Chest wall gently rises and falls• Abdominal cavity rises and falls due to
diaphragmatic movement• No use of accessory muscles - intercostal,
muscles in neck and shoulders• Accurate measurement necessary as
breathing tied to numerous body systems• Look at rate and depth
Normal rates
• Newborn - 30-60 • Infant - 30-50• Toddler - 25-35• Child - 20-30• Adolescent - 16-20• Adult - 12-20
How to assess respiration• Equipment: watch, Obs chart, pen• Explain to client ????• Make sure chest is visible-place client arm over
abdomen/ or your arm• Observe complete cycle (insp and exp)• Begin to count rate• If regular count for 30 seconds and multiply
by 2 (x2)• If irregular, less than 12 or more than 20
count for full minute
• Note depth of respirations, skin color and effort
• Replace linen• Wash hands• Record on obs chart• Report abnormal findings
Other terms you might hear• Bradypnea - slow breathing
• Tachypnea - fast breathing• Apnoea - no breathing for several
seconds• Hyperventilation - fast rate and depth• Hypoventilation - slow rate and depth• Cheyne-stoke’s respiration - irregular -
apnoea - hyperventilation - shallower - apnoea
Blood pressure
The force applied to the inside of our artery by the blood pulsing from our heart
Blood pressure
Can be affected by:• Effectiveness of heart pumping• Resistance in extremities• Blood volume• Thickness of the blood• Elasticity of arteries and blood
vessels
Systolic v’s Diastolic BP
• Systolic pressure = peak maximum pressure when heart contraction forces blood into aorta (major blood vessel to body)
• Diastolic pressure = the amount of blood left in the ventricles of the heart when they relax between contractions
Factors influencing BP
• Age• Stress• Race• Medications• Time of day• Gender
Common conditions of BP
•Hypertension high BP
•Hypotension low BP
•Postural hypotension dropping of
BP when rising to an upright
position
Normal values
Category Systolic Diastolic
Optimal < 120 mm hg <80 mm hg
Normal <130mm hg < 85 mm hg
Hypertension >140 mm hg –
180 mmhg
> 90 – 110 mm hg
Severe Hypertension
> 180 mm hg > 110 mm hg
Equipment needed
• Sphygmomanometer and cuff• Stethoscope• Obs chart and pen
Getting started
• Gather equipment• Explain to client - rest 5 min if
anxious• Select appropriate cuff size - S - XL• Client can lie or sit or stand• Wash hands• Expose extremity by removing
constricting clothes
• Palpate the brachial pulse (arm)• Place cuff about 2.5 cm above
pulse site • Making sure cuff is fully deflated wrap evenly and snugly around extremity (use arrow to centre on cuff)
• Position the manometer < 1m away from you so you can see it
• Place stethoscope pieces in ears and ensure sounds are clear and not muffled
• ? Estimate systolic pressure (30 mmHg >)• Relocate pulse and place bell of the
stethoscope over it (don’t cover it with clothing/cuff
Steps cont….
• Close valve of pressure bulb clockwise until tight
• Rapidly inflate cuff to 30 mmHg than palpated/previous BP
• SLOWLY release bulb pressure valve allow mercury to fall at a rate of 2-3 mmHg per second
Listen carefully...
• Listen for the first thumping sound and note the measurement on the manometer (systolic reading)
• Sound increases in intensity• Continue to deflate cuff and sound
will become muffled/dampened and note the measurement again (diastolic reading)
• Continue to deflate cuff gradually - listen for 10-20 mmHg after the last sound - let the rest of the air escape quickly
• Remove cuff • Assist client to comfortable position,
wash hands• Document reading on obs chart• Notify of abnormalities
What if the BP is abnormal ?
• Repeat the process
• Check on other arm
• Ask client how they feel
• Compare old readings
• Get someone else to check reading