1. Pulse Define –The pressure of the blood pushing against the walls of an artery as the heart beats and rests –Felt more easily in arteries that lie close to the skin

2. Pulse Sites Temporal – forehead Carotid – neck Brachial – inner, upper arm Radial – wrist Femoral – groin Popliteal – behind knee Dorsalis pedis – top of foot

3. Pulse Rate Define –Number of beats per minute Variables –Age, sex, body size

4. Pulse Rates Adults 60-90bpm Children > 7 70-90bpm Children 1-7 80-110bpm Infants 100-160bpm

5. Pulse Terms Bradycardia –Pulse rate under 60 beats per minute Tachycardia –Pulse rate greater than 100 beats per minute

6. Characteristics of the Pulse Rate – beats per minute Rhythm – regularity or spacing of beats –Regular or irregular –Arrhythmia – irregular heartbeat/pulse Volume – strength or intensity –Strong, weak, thready, bounding

7. Factors that Increase the Pulse –Exercise –Stimulant drugs –Excitement –Fever –Shock –Nervous tension

8. Factor that Decrease the Pulse –Sleep –Depressant drugs –Heart disease –Coma –Physical training

9. Apical Pulse Heartbeat taken by listening with a stethoscope over the apex of the heart The heart sounds are lubb-dupp Each lubb-dupp is one beat Used for taking an infant’s pulse because it is so rapid

10. Respirations Define –Process of taking in oxygen and expelling carbon dioxide One Respiration includes –1 inspiration, breathing in –1 expiration, breathing out

11. Respiration Rates Adults –14-18 breaths per minute Children –16-25 breath per minute Infants –30-50 breaths per minute

12. Respiration Characteristic Rate –Number of respirations per minute –One respiration is one inspiration and one expiration Rhythm –Regular or irregular Character –Deep, shallow, stertorous, moist

13. Abnormal Respiration Terminology Dyspnea – difficulty breathing Apnea – absence of respirations Tachypnea – respiration > 25/min Bradypnea – respirations <10/min Orthopnea – severe dyspnea Cheyne-Stokes – periods of dyspnea followed by periods of apnea. Seen in dying patients Rales – bubbling respiration caused by moisture in the lungs

14. Procedure for Taking Respirations Count respirations so patient is unaware Do not tell patient you are taking their respirations as it is a voluntary and involuntary process Take the patients pulse and afterwards leave hand in place and lift eyes to count the rise and fall of the patients chest