How to Measure and Record Vital Signs During First Aid

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

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

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

2. 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?

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

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

Capillary Refill Time

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

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

Tips & Warnings

• If you don't have a flashlight or headlamp, cover the injured person's eyes with your hand for 15 seconds, then remove the hand, exposing the eye to the environmental light.

• The pupils of healthy people contract when exposed to light and dilate once they become accustomed to the light, or when the light dims.

• The skin of healthy people is normally pink, warm and relatively dry.

• Blood will return to a healthy person's capillaries in less than two seconds, changing the color of the pressed spot from white to pink.

• Pupils that are equal in size but react slowly may indicate a deprivation of oxygen to the brain.

• Pupils that are as small as pinpoints and equal in size may indicate drug intoxication.

• Pupils that are unequal in size and degree of reaction to light may indicate damage on the side of the pupil that is larger and less reactive to light.

• Hot and dry skin or hot and sweaty skin can both be indicators of fever or heat-related illnesses.

• Blue-tinted skin may indicate oxygen deprivation, so if you see it, check the injured person's breathing. (See "How to Check Airway, Breathing and Circulation.")

• If the white area does not turn pink within two seconds, this may indicate that oxygen-rich blood is not circulating properly.

• If symptoms persist or if you have specific medical conditions or concerns, we recommend you contact a physician. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish