What vital signs are we talking about?¶

In the on-call emergency context, when we refer to vital signs, we mean the core physiological parameters that help quickly assess a patient’s stability and detect life-threatening conditions:

🔑 Vital Signs to Check Immediately¶

1. Heart Rate (HR) – bradycardia, tachycardia
2. Blood Pressure (BP) – hypotension (shock), hypertension
3. Respiratory Rate (RR) – tachypnea, bradypnea (early sign of distress)
4. Oxygen Saturation (SpO₂) – hypoxia (below ~92–94%)
5. Temperature (T) – fever, hypothermia
6. Level of Consciousness – often included as the 6th vital sign (AVPU or GCS)

These are essential for triaging, forming early differentials, and deciding who needs immediate attention or escalation (e.g., sepsis, stroke, shock, cardiac arrest).

✅ Tip: Always interpret vital signs in clinical context—e.g., tachycardia with hypotension and fever may point to septic shock.