Pediatric vital signs : recording methods and interpretations Andrew

Recording pediatric vital signs can be an important part oF the physical and emotional evaluation o[ the child dental patient. These records are accomplished easily iF the practitioner understands the methods of recording, the normal standards, and the common causes o[ abnormal vital signs. This paper contains methods For measuring blood pressure, pulse, temperature, and respiratory rate in children and normative values/:or each at different ages. Some common causes [or abnormalities and their relationship to dental treatment are discussed. The period of life from birth through adolescence is one of rapid growth accompanied by considerable physical change. Increasingly, dentists are becoming concerned with the recognition and measurement of physical growth and thus have been able to play a significant role in providing for both interceptive and preventive health care in pediatric patients. Physiological changes also are occurring during this period of rapid physical development. The measurement of a child’s vital signs can be an important parameter in monitoring normal physical development and in detecting abnormalities. With increasing awareness of the need for preventive medicine, the dental profession has become involved more actively in measuring vital signs, particularly blood pressure, as part of a screening program for early detection of hypertension in adults. 1-3 Unfortunately, there has been little effort by dentists to provide the same service for pediatric patients; vital sign measurement usually is limited to hospital admissions, episodes of illness, or routine physical examinations. 4’s Much adult hypertension, however, can be recognized in childhood, and children of adult hypertensives are especially at risk for high blood pressure. Thus, early detection and intervention is desirable. This paper presents recording methods for pediatric vital signs and their interpretation, with the hope that these measurements will become routine in the dental office as part of the physical assessment of the child patient.