Question

You should assess vital signs every ______ minutes in an unstable patient and every 15 minutes in a stable patient.

Answer 1

Vital signs should be assessed every 5 minutes in unstable patients and every 15 minutes in stable patients, with heart rate and respiration being critical for newborns' Apgar scores.

Step-by-step explanation:

You should assess vital signs every 5 minutes in an unstable patient and every 15 minutes in a stable patient. Vital signs, which include body temperature, heart rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure, are critical indicators of a patient's health status. In the context of the Apgar score, which assesses the health of newborns, two of these measurements—heart rate and respiration—are especially important. Poor scores may indicate the need for immediate medical intervention. A score lower than 7 at the 5-minute mark, or below 5 overall, signals an emergency and the need for prompt medical attention.