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. A fever is indicated when body temperature rises above 98.6 F orally or 99.8 F rectally, according to the American Medical Association. The pulse rate is a measurement of the heart rate, or the number of times the heart beats per minute.