II. Precautions: General
- Unaddressed Vital Signs are common in Malpractice suits
- Review nursing notes and Vital Signs throughout the clinical encounter
- Repeat and review Vital Signs at discharge
- Explain abnormal Vital Signs prior to discharge
III. Precautions: Specific Measures
- Automatic Blood Pressure cuffs may be unreliable
- Check manual Blood Pressure for outlying values (esp. shock, Narrow Pulse Pressure, Severe Hypertension)
- Oxygen Saturation may be unreliable (e.g. shock state, nail polish)
IV. Evaluation: Abnormal Criteria
- See Pediatric Vital Signs
- Adults (18 to 65 years old)
- Heart Rate >100
- Systolic Blood Pressure <90 mmHg
- Temperature >100.4 F (38 C)
- Older Adults (>65 years, proposed changes to Emergency Severity Index)
- Heart Rate >90
- Systolic Blood Pressure <110 mmHg
- Temperature >99.3 F (37.4 C)