Vital signs are health indicators that provide valuable objective data about our patients. Additionally, monitoring vital signs can assist physical therapist with proper dosing of exercise intensity and prescription.1 Not only is monitoring vital signs part of our Guide to Physical Therapy Practice 2, but it is also an effective screening mechanism that can identify undiagnosed medical conditions, save lives and provide a wealth of information into the overall well-being of our patient. As Frese et al. reported, understanding how to measure and interpret blood pressure and other vital sign is an integral part of best practice.3
Vital signs have four core values, heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, temperature.1 These are objective measures that give you clues on the baseline wellness and response to the activity of your patients. The medical community has initiated including other vital signs, however, without agreeance, there are not set additional vital signs. This does not mean measuring other signs, such as oxygen saturation, blood glucose levels, shortness of breath, pain levels do not provide valuable information. Currently, the promotion of including a vital sign that measure functional status such as gait speed, is being used in practice.4,5
The APTA also has great resources available to assist with vital sign interpretation.6 Next time you are with a patient think about how you are incorporating vital signs into your practice.
Written by Kimberly Benson PT, DPT, NCS
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