Vital Signs in First Aid: A Comprehensive Guide to Measurement & Recording

Frequent measurement of an injured person's vital signs will help the rescuer assess the injury. Vital signs are an important indicator of how the person is responding to treatment. Check and record these early in your treatment, and recheck them often.

Things You'll Need

• Powerful Flashlight

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Instructions

Measuring Level of Consciousness and the Pupils

• 1

  Assess the injured person's level of consciousness.

• 2

  Shine a flashlight or headlamp into the injured person's eyes.

• 3

  Note whether the pupils contract symmetrically when exposed to the light.

• 4

  Note whether the pupils are equal in size.

Measuring Pulse, Skin and Respiration

• 5

  Assess the injured person's pulse for rate, rhythm and strength. (See "How to Measure and Record a Pulse During First Aid.")

• 6

  Look at the injured person's fingernail beds or the inner skin of the eyelids and note the color. Are they pink, red, yellow or blue?

• 7

  Feel the injured person's forehead, hands and stomach, and note the temperature and moisture.

• 8

  Assess the injured person's respiration for rate, rhythm and strength. (See "How to Measure and Record Respiratory Rate.")

Capillary Refill Time

• 9

  Press the injured person's fingernail bed with your thumb and then release.

• 10

  Note the amount of time it takes for the blood to return to the white spot, turning it pink.