Vital signs Health Article

Media Gallery

  
Advertisement
Marketplace
Licensed from

Definition

Vital signs show an individual is alive. They include heart beat, breathing rate, temperature, and blood pressure. These signs may be watched, measured, and monitored to check an individual's level of physical functioning. Normal vital signs change with age, sex, weight, exercise tolerance, and condition.

Normal ranges for the average healthy adult vital signs are:

Temperature: 97.8 - 99.1 degrees Fahrenheit / average 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit

Breathing: 12 - 18 breaths per minute

Pulse: 60 - 80 beats per minute (at rest)

Blood Pressure:

  • Systolic: less than 120 mm of mercury (mm Hg)
  • Diastolic: less than 80 mm Hg

Reviewer Info: Benjamin W. Van Voorhees, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.; ADAM Health Illustrated Encyclopedia, 01/18/2007
 
Table of Contents
Definition
Related Learning
Centers
Advertisement
Back to Top