There are certain indicators that make it possible to judge how well the vital systems of the human body work. These are vital functions. Each physician should be able to conduct their research and evaluation. In the article, we will consider what applies to them, how in practice these functions are monitored, what indicators will be considered normal.
Definition
Vital functions are life support functions of the body. Another definition is vital functions.
It follows that vital functions are the activities of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Sometimes they also include the state of metabolism - homeostasis.
Indicators of vital functions are characteristics that allow a specialist to judge the state of vital systems in the patient’s body.
Key indicators
Assessment of vital functions of a person is a measurement of four most important indicators:
- Body temperature.
- Breathing rate.
- Blood, blood pressure.
- Heart rate
Tool application
Comparatively simple instruments are used to monitor the vital functions of the patient.
- Thermometer for measuring body temperature.
- A watch with a stopwatch or second hand for measuring respiratory rate and heart rate.
- Sphygmomanometer for determining blood pressure.
Sometimes experts use a pocket mirror to establish the fact of the presence of breathing in general. The tool is brought to the mouth, to the patient's nose. If breathing is present, condensation will form on the glass.
If the pulse is so weak that it cannot be felt with your fingers, then a stethoscope is used to monitor vital functions.
Identifying respiratory distress
Consider the assessment of vital functions on a scale accepted in medicine. First of all, the specialist needs to determine the presence of respiratory disorders, since they manifest themselves earlier than cardiovascular disorders. If fatal, respiratory arrest will always precede cardiac arrest.
To detect respiratory distress, the following is determined:
- the patient has independent breathing;
- respiratory rate - insufficient (tachyon) or rapid (bradyon);
- depth of breath - superficial or deep;
- rhythm - arrhythmic, periodic type Biota, Chain-Stokes, Kussmaul;
- the presence of shortness of breath and the determination of its type - expiratory, inspiratory, mixed;
- signs of respiratory failure - diffuse cyanosis, the participation of additional muscles in the breathing process, etc.
Central and peripheral disorders
Identified respiratory disorders can be of two types:
- Central. Such disorders develop with damage to the respiratory center. There is a violation of the frequency, form, rhythm of the respiratory cycle. A vivid example: terminal or periodic breathing.
- Peripheral. Noisy, wheezing breathing is noted, auxiliary muscles are connected. The rhythm and amplitude become uneven. Airway obstruction leads to arterial hypoxemia - a decrease in pulmonary circulation. Such disorders can develop as a result of lowering of the lower jaw or tongue, ingestion and further accumulation of blood, mucus, foreign bodies or contents of the stomach in the respiratory tract. If the victim is in an unconscious state, then tracheobronchial obstruction may occur as a result of accumulation of biological fluid in the respiratory tract due to inhibition of cough and swallowing reflexes.
Evaluation of the heart
Two main parameters are important here - to find out heart rate (heart rate) and heart rate. Specialists using the vital functions monitor use three methods:
- Palpation. The frequency of chest oscillations is determined in accordance with the heart contractions.
- Visual. Visual determination of the fluctuations of the patient’s chest.
- Auscultatory. It involves listening to the first and second heart sounds, which comprise one rhythm of contraction.
Consider this study in more detail.
Heart rate
Specialists determine the heart rate of a patient only in his physical and emotional peace. The rate of heart rate for adults is as follows:
- Men: 60-80 beats per minute.
- Women: 65-90 beats per minute (approximately 10% more often).
An increase in heart rate regarding these numbers is called tachycardia. Reduction, respectively, - bradycardia.
In this case, physiological, non-pathological tachycardia can be observed. For example, with strong physical exertion, with emotional upheaval. Non-pathological physiological bradycardia is characteristic for athletes, people leading an active lifestyle, trained.
Heart rhythm
Normally, heart contractions are rhythmic. That is, with their objective assessment, the periods of reductions will be approximately equal to each other.
If the contraction of the heart falls out of rhythm, followed by a compensatory (in other words, an extended pause), then the specialist can judge the presence of extrasystoles in the patient.
The latter does not always appear as a pathological condition. It can be physiological, if observed once per hour.
Typically, the rhythm and heart rate are evaluated by a specialist together. Therefore, a decrease or increase in heart rate is considered an increase in heart rate. Here doctors talk about arrhythmias like bradycardia or tachycardia.
Pulse
The importance of the pulse is that this indicator allows us to judge not only the work of the heart, but also the state of the vessels. These are periodic fluctuations in the walls of arteries, which are associated with a dynamic change in blood (arterial) pressure during the continuation of the cardiac cycle.
Specialists distinguish not only arterial, but also venous, capillary pulse. But the last two are measured only by special indications. In turn, the arterial pulse is divided into two varieties:
- Central. Accordingly, it is measured on the central arteries (aorta and carotid arteries).
- Peripheral. It is determined on the peripheral arteries. Here, its presence may depend on a number of conditions. For example, blood pressure. If it is below 70 mm. Hg. Art., then the pulse on the peripheral arteries is no longer felt. The specialist urgently needs to measure the central one.
Pulse study
There is a specific algorithm for assessing the patient’s heart rate. The artery is palpated, always pressing it against one of the adjacent bones. The pulse wave, having reached this location of the narrowing of the vessels, will exert pressure on the artery wall, causing it to straighten. A similar process is easily palpated by palpation.
The peripheral pulse is best detected on the radial artery. The doctor places the thumb on the rear of the forearm, the second and fourth along the artery. The latter is necessarily pressed to the styloid process of the radius. After that, the properties of the pulse wave are directly evaluated.
Pulse wave characteristic
When examining a pulse, it is important for a specialist to correctly evaluate the following properties:
- Symmetry. Accordingly, the pulse is determined on symmetrical arteries. In this case, its properties should be the same, and the pulse wave should flow simultaneously. If the pulse is asymmetric, this indicates the development of certain pathologies: obliterating endarteritis, thrombosis, etc. The reason may be that the vessel is squeezed by something from the outside. For example, a tumor.
- Rhythm. Like heart contractions, the normal pulse is rhythmic.
- Frequency. Normally, the heart rate is equal to heart rate. In the first minute, the specialist observes the pulse simultaneously with the determination of heart rate in order to reveal their differences. Moreover, the pulse may be deficient: when its frequency is lower than the heart rate. In medicine, such a pathology is called bradysphymia. If the heart rate is higher than heart rate, then this is tachysphygmia.
- Filling. It is also important for a specialist to know the degree of expansion of the artery wall at the time of the passage of the pulse wave. This is determined by the pressure in this area and cardiac output. In the case when the wall expands completely, they say about satisfactory filling of the artery. If the expansion is incomplete, such a fact may indicate a decreased filling, as well as a threadlike or even empty pulse.
- Voltage. This is the force with which the pulse wave straightens the walls of the artery. As well as the previous one, it is a rather subjective quantity. It is determined by pressing the artery to the adjacent bone, further palpation of the pulse wave distal to this part of the body. If the artery is compressed completely, and the pulse wave is not felt distally, then we can talk about a satisfactory voltage. In another way it is called a soft pulse. The opposite case is a tense, hard pulse. It is one of the indirect signs of high blood pressure in a patient.
- Size (height). It is characterized by the amplitude of the oscillation of the artery wall during the passage of the pulse wave. The value depends on voltage and on filling. If the amplitude is significant, then the pulse is called high. This is a pathological condition - aortic insufficiency.
- Speed (or form). It will be characterized by the rate of oscillation of the arterial wall, the speed of the pulse wave. High observed with tachycardia. If the heart rate is normal, then we can suspect a reduced elasticity of the walls of the vessels, atherosclerosis.
When examining a central pulse, a specialist always remembers that prolonged compression of the artery leads to undesirable consequences for patients with acute hypoxia of vital systems.
Homeostasis disorder
Respiratory and hemodynamic disorders lead to a violation of homeostasis:
- The increase in hypoxemia.
- Violation of the acid-base state.
- Change in reserve alkalinity of blood.
- Ionic imbalance.
- Violation of the pH of the blood and cerebrospinal fluid.
- Change in the proportion of potassium, calcium and sodium in plasma and cells.
- Violation of all types of metabolism.
- The development of hormonal dysfunction.
By the depth of vital disorders, one can judge the damage to the stem sections of the brain. One of the first symptoms indicative of trunk involvement is anisocoria. A wide pupil will indicate a lesion. May also indicate brain compression by hematoma.
Additional ways
We have listed the basic simple techniques above. Additional methods of research and evaluation of vital vital functions are also used:
- The ability to feel pain is not only physical, but also emotional. It refers to additional ones, as a number of experts believe that pain is a more subjective than objective syndrome when establishing signs of life.
- Pulse oximetry. In simple words, this is an optical technique for measuring oxygen saturation of a patient’s blood.
- Spirometry. Determining the vital capacity of a person’s lungs.
- The ability to regulate their own excretory functions - defecation and urination.
- Measuring blood sugar.
Assessment in children
When examining and assessing the state of vital functions in children, specialists use three key indicators:
- breathing rate;
- pulse;
- blood pressure.
To assess the severity of the condition of the child, evidence is compared with the standard for his age.
Indicators of respiratory rate in children
The first in the study and evaluation of basic vital functions in children is the measurement of respiratory rate. The specialist relies on the following standard indicators (number of breaths per minute):
- Newborn: 30-60.
- 1-6 weeks: 30-60.
- 6 months: 25-40.
- 1 year: 20-40.
- 3 years: 20-30.
- 6 years: 12-25.
- 10 years: 12-20.
Heart rate indicators in children
The second algorithm for assessing vital functions in children is the study of heart rate. Again, the actual values are compared with the standard (the number of strokes per minute):
- Newborn: 100-160.
- 1-6 weeks: 100-160.
- 6 months: 90-120.
- 1 year: 90-120.
- 3 years: 80-120.
- 6 years old: 70-110.
- 10 years: 60-90.
Blood pressure in children
Monitoring vital functions in young patients necessarily includes measuring blood pressure. The following indicators are standard here in children (systolic pressure):
- Newborn: 50-70.
- 1-6 weeks: 70-95.
- 6 months: 80-100.
- 1 year: 80-100.
- 3 years: 80-100.
- 6 years: 80-100.
- 10 years: 90-120.
Assessment of vital functions is carried out in order to diagnose the condition of the patient's vital systems. To do this, the specialist examines his breathing, pulse, heart activity.