Clinical observations

I always check patients' bedside observations before starting any oral trials/ before a swallow assessment, so i thought i'd revise the norms:

Observation	Normal range	Indications if abnormal
Temperature (degrees C)	36.5 – 37.2 Deg. C.	High – may indicate a fever/ pneumonia/ infection. Low - hypothermia
Pulse rate (beats per min)	60 – 100 beats per min	Fast – may indicate an infection or dehydration.
Respiration rate (breaths per min)	15 – 20 breaths per min	Above 25 – high may indicate an infection/ bleeding/ lung or heart disorder.
Systolic blood pressure (mmHG) – artery pressure when the heart contracts Diastolic BP – artery pressure when the heart is at rest	<120 mmHG  - Systolic <80   mmHG - diastolic	High BP – increased risk of stroke Low BP – risk of fainting
O2 Saturation (SPO2) – oxygen level in the blood	96 – 99 % on air	Low SPO2 (below 90) – can lead to respiratory failure