Isabella Carter
Vital signs are a group of four to six crucial medical signs that indicate the status of the body's vital (life-sustaining) functions. They are an objective measurement of the body's essential physiological functions and include body temperature, blood pressure, pulse (heart rate), and breathing rate (respiratory rate). Vital signs are useful in detecting or monitoring medical problems and can act as early warning flags. They are the first step in almost every medical evaluation and can be measured in a medical setting, at home, or at the site of a medical emergency.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Body temperature | 97.8°F–99°F (36.5°C–37.2°C) for adults. |
| Heart rate | 60–100 beats per minute for adults. |
| Pulse | 110–160 beats per minute for babies. |
| Respiratory rate | 12–16 breaths per minute for adults at rest. |
| Blood pressure | 90/60 mmHg–120/80 mmHg for adults at rest |
| Oxygen saturation | N/A |
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What You'll Learn
Body temperature
Healthcare providers may instruct patients to monitor their body temperature at home, especially if they are experiencing an illness or health condition that affects their temperature. By tracking body temperature over time, healthcare professionals can establish a baseline measurement for an individual and detect any deviations that may indicate health concerns.
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Heart rate
Vital signs are an objective measurement of the essential physiological functions of a living organism. They are called "vital" because their measurement is the critical first step for any clinical evaluation. Vital signs are useful in detecting or monitoring medical problems and alerting medical professionals to potential concerns. They can also act as early warning flags: a change in a person's baseline measurements might point to an underlying illness or heart issue that has not yet been diagnosed.
The normal heart rate for a healthy adult ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute. This rate can change depending on the circumstances. For example, it may increase when exercising or experiencing anxiety and decrease when taking certain medications. Athletes, such as runners, who do a lot of cardiovascular conditioning, may have heart rates near 40 beats per minute and experience no problems. Females aged 12 and older generally tend to have faster heart rates than males.
To measure heart rate, you can take your pulse at the side of the neck, on the inside of the elbow, or at the wrist. For most people, it is easiest to take the pulse at the wrist. If using the lower neck, be sure not to press too hard, and never press on the pulses on both sides of the lower neck at the same time to prevent blocking blood flow to the brain. When taking your pulse, use the first and second fingertips to press firmly but gently on the arteries until you feel a pulse.
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Pulse rate
Orthostatic vital signs refer to the measurement of blood pressure and pulse when a person is lying down and then when they are standing up. This type of measurement is often taken in a healthcare provider's office or hospital setting and can be useful for detecting conditions such as hypovolemia, lightheadedness, loss of consciousness, or concussion. Additionally, pulse oximetry, which measures oxygen saturation in the blood, has been found to be significant in patient outcomes when combined with traditional vital sign measurements.
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Respiratory rate
Vital signs are an objective measurement of the essential physiological functions of a living organism. They are called "vital" because their measurement is the critical first step for any clinical evaluation. The four main vital signs routinely monitored by medical professionals are body temperature, blood pressure, pulse rate, and respiratory rate.
Vital signs can act as early warning flags. For example, a change in a person’s baseline measurements might point to an underlying illness or heart issue that has not yet been diagnosed. Vital signs can fluctuate or change when a person is sick, taking certain medications, or experiencing pain, anxiety, or stress. A person’s age or a change in lifestyle can also affect one or more vital signs.
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Blood pressure
Two numbers are recorded when measuring blood pressure. The higher number, or systolic pressure, refers to the pressure inside the artery when the heart contracts and pumps blood through the body. The lower number, or diastolic pressure, refers to the pressure inside the artery when the heart is at rest and is filling with blood. Both the systolic and diastolic pressures are recorded as "mm Hg" (millimeters of mercury). This recording represents how high the mercury column in an old-fashioned manual blood pressure device (called a mercury manometer or sphygmomanometer) is raised by the pressure of the blood. Today, doctors usually use a simple dial for this measurement.
Orthostatic vital signs check your blood pressure when you are lying down and then when you are standing up. Your blood pressure may change when you change position if you have experienced or are at risk of hypovolemia, lightheadedness, loss of consciousness, or concussion.
There are many inter-person variabilities when measuring blood pressure, and basic measurement techniques are sometimes not followed, leading to erroneous results. To ensure accurate blood pressure readings, the patient should not have consumed any caffeinated drinks for at least one hour before the test or smoked any nicotine products for at least 15 minutes before the test. They should also empty their bladder before the test and be seated for at least five minutes before the measurement is taken. The correct cuff size is also important, as smaller cuffs give falsely high readings, and larger cuffs give falsely lower readings.
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Frequently asked questions
Vital signs are a group of four to six crucial medical signs that indicate the status of the body's vital (life-sustaining) functions. They are an objective measurement of the body's essential physiological functions.
The four primary vital signs are body temperature, blood pressure, pulse (heart rate), and breathing rate (respiratory rate).
Vital signs are important because they give healthcare providers clues about any underlying conditions that may affect a person's health or show their progress toward recovery. They act as early warning flags, helping doctors detect and monitor health issues.
