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. As the heart pushes blood through the arteries, the arteries expand and contract with the flow of the blood.