What are the vital signs monitored during a patient assessment?

Vital signs are critical indicators of a patient's physiological status and are essential components of a thorough patient assessment. The correct combination includes heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and temperature.

Heart rate provides information about the cardiovascular status and can indicate various conditions, such as tachycardia or bradycardia. Blood pressure reflects the force exerted by circulating blood on the walls of blood vessels, helping assess circulatory efficiency and identify issues like hypertension or hypotension. Respiratory rate indicates how well the patient is ventilating and can reveal respiratory distress or failure. Lastly, temperature helps identify fever or hypothermia, which can signal infection or other metabolic issues.

The other options do not encompass the full set of vital signs necessary for a comprehensive assessment. For instance, while some choices include heart rate and blood pressure, they may exclude respiratory rate, which is crucial for evaluating lung function. Similarly, the options that substitute glucose levels or oxygen saturation for essential vital signs overlook critical aspects of overall health monitoring.