ABSTRACT
The prompt detection and reporting of changes in vital signs are essential as delays in initiating appropriate treatment can detrimentally affect the patient’s outcome and prognosis. It is the key to clinical decision-making and to planning patient care, taking into account the individual patient’s needs and situation. The assessment process and careful monitoring of the patient’s observations should facilitate early recognition of the patient ‘at risk’. Vital sign observations should be recorded at the initial assessment and as part of routine monitoring. A decision regarding the frequency of monitoring should be dictated by the patient’s physiological condition along with a prediction of the patient’s risk of deterioration; alterations in the frequency of observation should also be made by the multi-disciplinary team (MDT), taking into account if the patient is at the end of life and a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order is in place.
