Vital Signs: Monitor Key Health Indicators
Vital signs (often shortened to just vitals) measures the body’s basic functions. These measurements are taken to help assess the patient’s general physical health, give clues to possible diseases, and show progress toward recovery. The normal ranges for a person’s vital signs vary with age, weight, gender, and overall health. The module is installed with the normal ranges for geriatric patients. Individual thresholds can be set on a case by case basis.
Six primary vital signs are tracked: body temperature, blood pressure, pulse (heart rate), breathing rate (respiratory rate), and O2 saturation level. Vital signs are recorded using the LOINC international standard coding system.
Early warnings can issue alerts through the Interact/3 module.
This table details the specific methods that can be used to record the vitals.
| Vital | Capture Method | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Body Temperature | Manual/Device | Oral, Rectal, Tympanic, Axillary, Infrared, Groin, Temporal |
| BP | Manual | Lying, Standing and Sitting |
| Pulse | Manual/Device | Brachial, Radial, Femoral, Popliteal, Posterior tibial, Dorsalis pedis |
| Respiration | Manual/Device |