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Vital signs

Definition

Vital signs include the heart beat, breathing rate, temperature, and blood pressure. These signs may be watched, measured, and monitored to check an individual's level of physical functioning.

Normal vital signs change with age, sex, weight, exercise tolerance, and condition.

Normal ranges for the average healthy adult vital signs are:

  • Blood Pressure: 120/80 mm/Hg
  • Breathing: 12 - 18 breaths per minute
  • Pulse: 60 - 80 beats per minute (at rest)
  • Temperature: 97.8 - 99.1 degrees Fahrenheit / average 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit
Review Date: 2/23/2009
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
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