Okuzeka
Medicine vocabulary · History Taking and Examination

Vital signs

Meaning in medicine, with examples

/ˈvaɪtəl saɪnz/nounCore term

In medicine, vital signs means: The basic body measurements checked to see how ill a patient is: temperature, pulse, breathing rate and blood pressure, and often oxygen level.

In Turkish: vital bulgular, yaşamsal bulgular

How it is used

Usually shortened to 'vitals', or 'obs' (observations) in the UK. Nurses record them on a chart; doctors ask 'What are her vitals?' and check whether they are stable or getting worse.

Example sentences

  1. Her vital signs are stable, but she's still in a lot of pain.

  2. Recheck his vital signs every hour and call me if his pressure drops.

Common collocations

  • check vital signs
  • record the vitals
  • stable vital signs
  • abnormal vital signs
  • blood pressureThe force of the blood pushing against the walls of the arteries, measured in millimetres of mercury and given as two numbers, for example 120/80.
  • oxygen saturationThe percentage of hemoglobin in the blood that is carrying oxygen, usually measured with a clip on the finger; in healthy adults it is usually 95% or higher.
  • feverA body temperature higher than normal, usually above about 38 °C, often a sign that the body is fighting an infection.
  • stableNot changing or getting worse, especially when the vital signs and general condition stay within a safe range.
  • triageThe process of quickly assessing patients to decide who needs treatment first, based on how serious their condition is.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: History Taking and Examination

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.