Vital signs are one of the most important assessments you can make when preparing the patient to be examined by the practitioner. Temperature, pulse, respirations, and blood pressure give information about how a patient will adjust to changes within the body and in the environment. Changes in the vital signs can indicate an abnormality.

Measurements such as height, weight, and head circumference can indicate physical growth and development, especially in infants and children. These measurements are also used to evaluate health problems, such as obesity. You must be accurate when performing and recording vital signs and measurements. The practitioner uses your results when making a diagnosis.