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The Four Vital Signs

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Vital signs are a very important aspect of quality patient care. They provide critical information needed to make life-saving decisions, determine which treatment protocols to follow and confirm feedback on treatments performed. Specifically, vital signs measure the body's most basic functions. The four main vital signs routinely monitored by medical professionals and health care providers include the pulse rate, respiration rate (rate of breathing), blood pressure, and the body temperature.

The pulse rate is the number of times that your heart beats in one minute. As the heart pushes blood through the arteries, the arteries expand and contract with the flow of the blood. A healthy pulse rate for adults ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute, however the pulse rate may fluctuate and increase with exercise, injury, or illness. The pulse can be found on the side of the neck (carotid artery), the inside of the elbow (brachial artery), or at the wrist (radial artery). For most people, it is easiest to take the pulse at the radial artery, and the carotid following. To find the pulse rate, use the pointer and middle fingers, press firmly but gently on the arteries until you feel a pulse. Count the beats for 60 seconds, or for 30 seconds and multiply by 2. …show more content…
This rate is measured when a person is at rest and simply involves counting the number of breaths for one minute by counting how many times the chest rises and falls. The average respiration rate for a healthy adult is between 12-16 breaths per

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