Taking vitals time?

[heavenjoans7]

so vitals are every 15 minutes for stable patients so if i take them do i count 15 minutes after i take all of them or as i am going along for each vital sign like bo, respiratory etc..? How do you count the time?

 

[CALEMT]

How do you count the time?

A watch?

It shouldn't take you anymore than 5 minutes for vitals. You seem to be way overthinking a simple task.

 

[WolfmanHarris]

A watch?

It shouldn't take you anymore than 5 minutes for vitals. You seem to be way overthinking a simple task.

Agreed, you're overthinking it. If you have a state or regional policy that requires vital that often, than sure do them that often but don't freak out if it's 16 or 14. On most of my subacute patients with relatively short transport times I may take 2-3 sets over the course of the call (something like on scene, en route and arrive hospital). As acuity goes up so do my vitals frequency. For my highest acuity pt.'s vitals are essential continuous w/ BP's every couple of minutes, continuous ECG, SPO2, ETCO2 (w/ RR).

 

[NomadicMedic]

I set my LifePak to get em every 10. Yet another reason to become a paramedic.

 

[CALEMT]

highest acuity pt.'s vitals are essential

Every 5 minutes for "the really really sick people". So as wolf man already pointed out its pretty much continuous.

I set my LifePak to get em every 10. Yet another reason to become a paramedic.

I almost initially answered my scrolling the dial on the LP15 to 15 minutes. But I feel as if that would've gone way over the head.

 

[StCEMT]

I use a clock. That's why timers on monitors are nice...and really, it doesn't have to be EXACTLY 15 minutes. If I think they are kind of sick I will stick to the 15ish mark. If they are really sick/swirling the drain, then I am about on every 5 too. If they need triage I will do a second set if it is a really long transport time and I finish my paperwork. If I am doing a long distance transfer for a stable patient, I will let them sleep and just do it periodically and just make sure they are breathing most of the time and if they are talkers and keep conversation going then that makes it kind of easy.

 

[Qulevrius]

and really, it doesn't have to be EXACTLY 15 minutes.

^ This. Anywhere between 15 and 20 min for a stable pt, does it fine. And yes, if it's a long transport for a stable pt who's asleep, I just keep the pulse ox running and take bp whenever it doesn't bother them.

 

[mgr22]

Just to build on the advice you've already been given, someday you won't be focusing as much on numbers -- e.g. pulse and respiratory rate -- but on what you see and feel. How does the patient look? Are respirations fast or slow, labored or unlabored? Is the pulse fast or slow, weak or strong, regular or irregular, regularly irregular or irregularly irregular?

 

[Run with scissors]

Do you always have time to get multiple sets of vitals?

Like in a cardiac arrest? Where one person is driving and the other is doing cpr.

 

[Flying]

Do you always have time to get multiple sets of vitals?

Like in a cardiac arrest? Where one person is driving and the other is doing cpr.

You stay on-scene during a cardiac arrest scenario. The only vitals you will get are the leads and EtCO2 off a monitor.

Don't end up doing either (driving/using a BP cuff) when someone's heart stops.