Orthostatic vital signs
Encyclopedia
Orthostatic vital signs are a series of vital signs
of a patient taken standing, supine and sometimes sitting to form a baseline for analysis and comparison. Used to identify orthostatic hypotension
, orthostatic vital signs are commonly taken in triage
medicine when a patient presents with vomiting
, diarrhea
or abdominal pain
; with fever
; with bleeding; or with syncope
, dizziness or weakness. Orthostatic vital signs are not collected where spinal injury seems likely or where the patient is displaying an altered level of consciousness
. Additionally, it is omitted when the patient is demonstrating hemodynamic instability, which term is generally used to indicate abnormal or unstable blood pressure
but which can also suggest inadequate arterial supply
to organs. Orthostatic vital signs are also taken after surgery.
The process of taking orthostatic vital signs is also called a "tilt test". A tilt test is judged to be "positive" when the blood pressure of the patient falls by more than 20 mm Hg or the pulse
rises by more than 20 beats a minute. A tilt test that results in the patient growing significantly dizzy or losing consciousness is also judged "positive."
Vital signs
Vital signs are measures of various physiological statistics, often taken by health professionals, in order to assess the most basic body functions. Vital signs are an essential part of a case presentation. The act of taking vital signs normally entails recording body temperature, pulse rate ,...
of a patient taken standing, supine and sometimes sitting to form a baseline for analysis and comparison. Used to identify orthostatic hypotension
Orthostatic hypotension
Orthostatic hypotension, also known as postural hypotension, orthostasis, and colloquially as head rush or dizzy spell, is a form of hypotension in which a person's blood pressure suddenly falls when the person stands up or stretches. The decrease is typically greater than 20/10 mm Hg, and may be...
, orthostatic vital signs are commonly taken in triage
Triage
Triage or ) is the process of determining the priority of patients' treatments based on the severity of their condition. This rations patient treatment efficiently when resources are insufficient for all to be treated immediately. The term comes from the French verb trier, meaning to separate,...
medicine when a patient presents with vomiting
Vomiting
Vomiting is the forceful expulsion of the contents of one's stomach through the mouth and sometimes the nose...
, diarrhea
Diarrhea
Diarrhea , also spelled diarrhoea, is the condition of having three or more loose or liquid bowel movements per day. It is a common cause of death in developing countries and the second most common cause of infant deaths worldwide. The loss of fluids through diarrhea can cause dehydration and...
or abdominal pain
Abdominal pain
Abdominal pain can be one of the symptoms associated with transient disorders or serious disease. Making a definitive diagnosis of the cause of abdominal pain can be difficult, because many diseases can result in this symptom. Abdominal pain is a common problem...
; with fever
Fever
Fever is a common medical sign characterized by an elevation of temperature above the normal range of due to an increase in the body temperature regulatory set-point. This increase in set-point triggers increased muscle tone and shivering.As a person's temperature increases, there is, in...
; with bleeding; or with syncope
Syncope (medicine)
Syncope , the medical term for fainting, is precisely defined as a transient loss of consciousness and postural tone characterized by rapid onset, short duration, and spontaneous recovery due to global cerebral hypoperfusion that most often results from hypotension.Many forms of syncope are...
, dizziness or weakness. Orthostatic vital signs are not collected where spinal injury seems likely or where the patient is displaying an altered level of consciousness
Altered level of consciousness
An altered level of consciousness is any measure of arousal other than normal. Level of consciousness is a measurement of a person's arousability and responsiveness to stimuli from the environment. A mildly depressed level of consciousness may be classed as lethargy; someone in this state can be...
. Additionally, it is omitted when the patient is demonstrating hemodynamic instability, which term is generally used to indicate abnormal or unstable blood pressure
Blood pressure
Blood pressure is the pressure exerted by circulating blood upon the walls of blood vessels, and is one of the principal vital signs. When used without further specification, "blood pressure" usually refers to the arterial pressure of the systemic circulation. During each heartbeat, BP varies...
but which can also suggest inadequate arterial supply
Perfusion
In physiology, perfusion is the process of nutritive delivery of arterial blood to a capillary bed in the biological tissue. The word is derived from the French verb "perfuser" meaning to "pour over or through."...
to organs. Orthostatic vital signs are also taken after surgery.
The process of taking orthostatic vital signs is also called a "tilt test". A tilt test is judged to be "positive" when the blood pressure of the patient falls by more than 20 mm Hg or the pulse
Pulse
In medicine, one's pulse represents the tactile arterial palpation of the heartbeat by trained fingertips. The pulse may be palpated in any place that allows an artery to be compressed against a bone, such as at the neck , at the wrist , behind the knee , on the inside of the elbow , and near the...
rises by more than 20 beats a minute. A tilt test that results in the patient growing significantly dizzy or losing consciousness is also judged "positive."