Vital Signs (Body Temperature, Pulse Rate, Respiration Rate, Blood Pressure)

What are vital signs?

1. Body temperature
   • The normal body temperature of a person varies depending on gender, recent activity, food and fluid consumption, time of day, and, in women, the stage of the menstrual cycle. 
   • Normal body temperature can range from 97.8 degrees F (or Fahrenheit, equivalent to 36.5 degrees C, or Celsius) to 99 degrees F (37.2 degrees C) for a healthy adult.
2. Pulse rate
   • The pulse rate is a measurement of the heart rate, or the number of times the heart beats per minute. As the heart pushes blood through the arteries, the arteries expand and contract with the flow of the blood. 
   • The normal pulse for healthy adults ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute. The pulse rate may fluctuate and increase with exercise, illness, injury, and emotions.
3. Respiration rate (rate of breathing)
   • The respiration rate is the number of breaths a person takes per minute. 
   • The rate is usually 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.
   • Respiration rates may increase with fever, illness, and other medical conditions. When checking respiration, it is important to also note whether a person has any difficulty breathing.
4. Blood pressure 
   • Blood pressure is the force of the blood pushing against the artery walls during contraction and relaxation of the heart. 
   • Each time the heart beats, it pumps blood into the arteries, resulting in the highest blood pressure as the heart contracts.
   • 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.