Vitals?

When the characters say the word 'vitals', what kind of things do you think they are measuring?

Why are vitals so important? Why are they urgent?

Vitals

The four vital signs are:

• Temperature

• Heart Rate

• Respiratory (Breathing) Rate

• Blood Pressure

Why are they urgent?

Vital signs are the first clues that something is wrong in the body. They show how well the heart, lungs, and brain are working - and if something is failing, you can’t always see it from the outside.

Vitals help doctors decide who needs help first, what kind of help, and how fast to act.

​Can you think of anything else that might be useful to know in an emergency situation?

Glasgow Coma Scale

A neurological assessment tool used to determine a person's level of consciousness, particularly after a head injury

Oxygen Saturation

A measure of how much haemoglobin in the blood is carrying oxygen, expressed as a percentage.

Normal oxygen saturation levels in humans are generally between 95-100%.

It's a key indicator of how well the body is delivering oxygen to tissues.

Case Studies

1. Form groups of 3–4 students. Each group gets a full set of patient case cards and a whiteboard or mini-poster paper.

2. One by one, read and discuss each patient case. Write on your whiteboard: which vital signs are concerning, what might have happened, what should be done next?

3. We will come back together after 10 minutes and discuss.