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    Glass Thermometers Containing Mercury

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    Kimberly G. Dedase
    Vital signs are measurements of basic body functions that help detect medical problems. The four main vital signs are body temperature, pulse rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure. Body temperature is normally between 97.8-99°F and can be taken orally, rectally, in the armpit, or internally. A fever is over 98.6°F and hypothermia is below 95°F. Pulse rate measures heart rate through arteries and is normally 60-100 beats per minute, fluctuating with activity, illness, and emotions.

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    Glass Thermometers Containing Mercury

    Uploaded by

    Kimberly G. Dedase
    32 views2 pages
    Vital signs are measurements of basic body functions that help detect medical problems. The four main vital signs are body temperature, pulse rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure. Body temperature is normally between 97.8-99°F and can be taken orally, rectally, in the armpit, or internally. A fever is over 98.6°F and hypothermia is below 95°F. Pulse rate measures heart rate through arteries and is normally 60-100 beats per minute, fluctuating with activity, illness, and emotions.

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    Taking vital signs

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    Vital signs are measurements of basic body functions that help detect medical problems. The four main vital signs are body temperature, pulse rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure. Body temperature is normally between 97.8-99°F and can be taken orally, rectally, in the armpit, or internally. A fever is over 98.6°F and hypothermia is below 95°F. Pulse rate measures heart rate through arteries and is normally 60-100 beats per minute, fluctuating with activity, illness, and emotions.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    32 views2 pages

    Glass Thermometers Containing Mercury

    Uploaded by

    Kimberly G. Dedase
    Vital signs are measurements of basic body functions that help detect medical problems. The four main vital signs are body temperature, pulse rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure. Body temperature is normally between 97.8-99°F and can be taken orally, rectally, in the armpit, or internally. A fever is over 98.6°F and hypothermia is below 95°F. Pulse rate measures heart rate through arteries and is normally 60-100 beats per minute, fluctuating with activity, illness, and emotions.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    of 2

    What are vital signs?

    Vital signs are measurements of the body's most basic functions. The 4 main vital signs
    routinely checked by healthcare providers include:

     Body temperature
     Pulse rate
     Breathing rate (respiration)
     Blood pressure
    Vital signs help detect or monitor medical problems. They can be measured in a medical setting,
    at home, at the site of a medical emergency, or elsewhere.

    What is body temperature?

    The normal body temperature of a person varies depending on gender, recent activity, food and
    fluid consumption, time of day, and, in women, the stage of the menstrual cycle. Normal body
    temperature can range from 97.8° F (36.5°C) to 99°F (37.2°C) for a healthy adult. A person's
    body temperature can be taken in any of the following ways:

     Orally. Temperature can be taken by mouth using a digital thermometer that uses an


    electronic probe to measure body temperature.
     Rectally. Temperatures taken rectally tend to be 0.5°F to 0.7°F higher than when taken
    by mouth. This is more common in babies because their body doesn't regulate
    temperature the way an older child or adult's body does.
     Armpit (axillary). Temperatures can be taken under the arm using a digital
    thermometer. Temperatures taken by this route tend to be 0.3°F to 0.4°F lower than
    those temperatures taken by mouth.
     By ear. A special thermometer can quickly measure the temperature of the eardrum,
    which reflects the body's core temperature (the temperature of the internal organs).
     By skin. A special thermometer can quickly measure the temperature of the skin on the
    forehead. Some thermometers don't require contact with the skin to get a temperature
    reading.
     Internally. This method is common in people who are critically ill in an intensive care
    unit. The temperature can be measured by probes that are placed in the esophagus,
    heart, or bladder.
    Body temperature may be abnormal due to fever (high temperature) or hypothermia (low
    temperature). A fever is indicated when body temperature rises about 1 degree or more over the
    normal temperature of 98.6°F, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians.
    Hypothermia is defined as a drop in body temperature below 95°F.

    Glass thermometers containing mercury

    Exposure to mercury can be toxic and poses a threat to a person's health, as well as to the
    environment. Don't use glass thermometers with mercury, as they can break. If you have a
    mercury thermometer, dispose of it correctly in accordance with local, state, and federal laws.
    Contact your local health department, waste disposal authority, or fire department for
    information on how to correctly dispose of mercury thermometers.

    What is the pulse rate?


    The pulse rate is a measurement of the heart rate. This is the number of times the heart beats
    per minute. As the heart pushes blood through the arteries, the arteries expand and contract
    with the flow of the blood. Taking a pulse not only measures the heart rate, but also can indicate
    the following:

     Heart rhythm
     Strength of the pulse
    The normal pulse for healthy adults ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute. The pulse rate may
    fluctuate and increase with exercise, illness, injury, and emotions. Females ages 12 and older,
    in general, tend to have faster heart rates than do males. Athletes, such as runners, who do a
    lot of cardiovascular conditioning, may have heart rates near 40 beats per minute with no
    problems.

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