Temperature

1. Define a vital sign.

2. What are the four vital signs?

3. What symptoms occur with a fever?

4. What five sites are used for taking body temperature?

5. What temperature is considered fever?

Pulse

1. What causes the pulse to occur?

2. What is the unit of measurement for pulse rate?

3. How does physical activity affect the pulse rate?

4. State the normal range for a pulse rate for an adult.

5. What may cause tachycardia?

Respiration

1. What is the purpose of respiration?

2. What is the normal respiratory rate (range) for a normal adult?

3. Describe the character of the following abnormal breath sounds:

a. Crackles:.
b. Rhonchi:.
c. Wheezes:

Pulse Oximetry

1. What is the purpose of pulse oximetry?

2. What is the function of hemoglobin?

3. What is the oxygen saturation level of a healthy individual?

4. What can occur if the oxygen saturation level falls between 85% and 90%?

5. List three patient conditions that can cause a decreased SpO2 value.

Blood Pressure

1. What does blood pressure measure?

.

2. Why is the diastolic pressure lower than the systolic pressure?

.

3. What is considered normal blood pressure for an adult?

.

4. State the blood pressure range for each of the following:

a. Prehypertension:
b. Hypertension, stage
c. Hypertension, stage

5. List the five phases included in Korotkoffs sounds and describe what type of sound is heard during each phase.

Critical Thinking Activities

Measurement of Body Temperature

Electronic Thermometer

1. The medical assistant takes a patients oral temperature immediately after the patient has consumed a cup of coffee. Is this correct?

Pulse and Respiratory Rates

Take the pulse and respiration of a person before and after vigorous exercise, and record the re-sults.

1. Before vigorous exercise
2. After vigorous exercise
3. Compare the results, and explain how exercise affects the pulse and respiratory rates.

Answers vary based on individual students.

Pulse Oximetry

Your physician asks you to measure the oxygen saturation level of the patients listed. For each sit-uation, answer the following questions:

a. What would you do in each situation to prevent an inaccurate pulse oximetry reading?
b. What occurs with each of these situations and how does it affect the SpO2 reading?

1.    Kelly Collins, a patient with chronic bronchitis, is wearing navy blue nail polish .

G. Proper Blood Pressure Cuff Selection

I. Interpreting Blood Pressure Readings

Classify each of the following blood pressure readings into its appropriate category. The readings are based on the  average of two or more properly measured and seated blood pressure readings taken at each of two or more visits.
Normal
Prehypertension
Hypertension: Stage 1
Hypertension: Stage 2

1. 90/66:
2. 126/76:
3. 146/88:
4. 120/88:
5. 120/80:
6. 158/102:
7. 134/82:
8. 180/106:
9. 104/60:
10. 148/94: