James Edwards 03/04/1985
CU2698 Undertake Physiological Measurements
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2. Physiological state in defined as “the condition or state of the body or bodily functions”. This can be measured when we perform our observations. By measuring a patient’s respiratory rate, oxygen saturations, peak flow (in asthma patients), pulse rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, core temperature, blood sugar, pupil reaction and Glasgow coma scale. All these combined measurement can give us an insight into the patient’s health or Physiological state.
2.1 The heart is simple a pump which forces the blood around our bodies through the pipe work we call our arteries and veins. We can measure this force on our vascular system by measuring our blood …show more content…

This condition is known as Hyperpyrexia. Hyperpyrexia is when the body’s temperature rises above 41°C. This condition is normal more common in children and young adults, it is extremely dangerous and requires immediate medical intervention.
Hypothermia is the opposite of pyrexia. Hypothermia is when the body temperature drops below 35°C. Hypothermia is usually caused by being in a cold environment. This can be outside in cold conditions but many elderly patients are in there own home without heating on. Hypothermia can quickly become life-threatening so should be treated quickly.
2.3 Respiratory rate is the number of breaths a person takes over 60 seconds. This is usually taken at rest by counting the amount of times a person chest rises over 30secs, then times that figure by two. It is important you do this without the patient knowing as this can dramatically affect the rate. A normal respiratory rate is anywhere between 10-20 breaths per minute. This number can vary greatly depending on the person individual fitness level, or the patient’s level of activity immediately before the assessment (at rest or exercising). The brain stem is the primary controller of respiratory rate. It receives input from sensors that detect oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the blood. In ill patients especially patients with COPD who brain works slightly differently with regards to oxygen levels. If we introduce higher levels of oxygen than they are use to we can actually cause the