RT Book, Section A1 Hoffman, Robert S. A1 Howland, Mary Ann A1 Lewin, Neal A. A1 Nelson, Lewis S. A1 Goldfrank, Lewis R. A2 Hoffman, Robert S. A2 Howland, Mary Ann A2 Lewin, Neal A. A2 Nelson, Lewis S. A2 Goldfrank, Lewis R. SR Print(0) ID 1108423764 T1 Initial Evaluation of the Patient: Vital Signs and Toxic Syndromes T2 Goldfrank's Toxicologic Emergencies, 10e YR 2015 FD 2015 PB McGraw-Hill Education PP New York, NY SN 9780071801843 LK accessemergencymedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1108423764 RD 2024/10/15 AB For more than 200 years, American health care providers have attempted to standardize their approach to the assessment of patients. At the New York Hospital in 1865, pulse rate, respiratory rate, and temperature were incorporated into the bedside chart and called “vital signs.”6 It was not until the early part of the 20th century, however, that blood pressure determination also became routine. Additional components of the standard emergency assessment, such as oxygen saturation by pulse oximetry, capillary blood glucose, and pain severity, are now also beginning to be considered vital signs. Although assessment of oxygen saturation, capillary glucose, and pain severity are essential components of the clinical evaluation and are important considerations throughout this text, they are not discussed in this chapter.