Orthostatic vital signs in emergency department patients

✍ Scribed by Jane Koziol-McLain; Steven R Lowenstein; Barbara Fuller

• Book ID: 104311099
• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1991
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 530 KB
• Volume: 20
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1097-6760
• DOI: 10.1016/s0196-0644(05)82376-5

✦ Synopsis

Study objective:

To examine the variability and define the normal ranges of orthostatic vital signs in an emergency department population.

Design:

Descriptive.

Type of participants:

Adult ed patients with no history of recent blood or fluid losses.

Measurements:

Lying and standing heart rate and blood pressure measured by an automated instrument.

Results:

In 132 presumed euvolemic patients, the statistical normal ranges (mean +/- 2 sd) of orthostatic vital signs were wide: on standing, the heart rate range was from decreases 5.0 to increases 39.4 beats per minute; for systolic blood pressure, the range was decreases 20 to increases 25.7 mm hg; and for diastolic blood pressure, the range was decreases 6.4 to increases 24.9 mm hg. in this sample, 43% had "positive" orthostatic vital signs according to currently accepted values.

Conclusion:

The data from this study indicate that there is a wider than expected variation in orthostatic vital signs among presumed euvolemic ed patients.