Vital signs are measurements of the body's most basic functions.
Vital signs are useful in detecting or monitoring medical problems.
Vital signs can be measured in a medical setting, at home, at the site of a medical emergency, or elsewhere. The normal body temperature of a person varies depending on gender, recent activity, food and fluid consumption, time of day, and, in women, the stage of the menstrual cycle. It generally indicates that there is an abnormal process going on within the body. The severity of a condition is not necessarily reflected by the degree of fever. For example, influenza may cause a fever of 104 F, while pneumonia may cause a very low-grade fever or no fever at all.