A Answers (4)
-
Temperature, blood pressure, pulse [number of heart beats in a minute], respirations [number of breaths taken in a minute], oxygen saturation [indirect measure of oxygen in the blood] and pain are the vital signs taken in the ER. Pain can be measured on a verbal scale of 0 to 10. Zero represents no pain; 5 represents somewhat of a nuisance, but bearable; and 10 is an excruciating level of pain that is almost indescribable.
If a person is non-verbal, due to critical illness or sedation, or if the person is an infant or very young child, pain can be assessed by facial grimace and behavioral cues. These cues can be translated into a number from 0 to 10 based on standardized behavioral scales. Medical literature supports behavioral pain scales as being reliable measures of pain in non-communicative people. Additionally, visual acuity testing by the Snellen eye chart is considered the “vital sign of the eyes.” Visual acuity is the ability of the eye to see fine detail. This acuity is evaluated when a person has complaint of new onset blurred vision or traumatic eye injury.
-
Vital signs that are taken in the emergency room include a temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation.
Pain is also recognized as a vital sign and patients will be asked to rate their pain.
Additionally, depending on the age of the patient, weight may be obtained. This especially holds true for children because the dosage of the medications they receive is based on weight.
-
Blood pressure, temperature, heart rate (pulse) and respiratory rate (how fast you are breathing) are the 4 main vital signs taken in the emergency department.
-
Vital signs taken in the emergency room are normally a blood pressure, counting respirations (how many times a person breathes in a minute), pulse (how many times the heart beats in a minute) and temperature. Sometimes, if the patient is complaining of shortness of breath the doctor may order and 02 saturation to me taken. An 02 staturation can be measured by placing a probe on the patients finger or ear lobe. This probe can measure the amount of oxygen that is your blood.
This content reflects information from various individuals and organizations and may offer alternative or opposing points of view. It should not be used for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. As always, you should consult with your healthcare provider about your specific health needs.
