Interactive Literature Selections Variations in Vital Signs By Age

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Table. A table is a type of chart, also called a matrix chart, in which data is placed by matching it with vertical and horizontal categories. Data in a table is read in rows, which extend horizontally across the table, and columns, which run vertically down the table. The top row (and sometimes the left column) normally has headings that indicate the type of data shown in each corresponding cell, or square that holds data. Before calculators were invented, many people used multiplication tables instead of calculators to multiply numbers. If you were going to multiply 6 and 9, for example, you would look across the horizontal row for 6 and down the vertical column for 9. The number at the intersection of the two categories would be the answer for that multiplication. What do the headings across the top of the Variations in Vital Signs by Age table on page 832 tell you about the information contained in the table?

• Math Connection. The metric system, or International System (IS), was developed in France in the 1700s and has been used around the world ever since. The metric system is considered easy to use because the units of measure are defined as decimals and multiples of ten. The metric system uses degrees Celsius instead of degrees Fahrenheit to measure temperature. Conversely, the commonly used units of measure in the United States—inch, foot, yard, quart, gallon, pound, and degrees Fahrenheit—involve many different computations. The United States is the only industrialized nation that does not regularly use the metric system.

• Science Connection. Vital signs are used to monitor the functions of the body. They include body temperature, pulse, respiration, and blood pressure. Body temperature is the balance between the heat produced by the body and the heat lost by the body. Pulse is a wave of blood created by the contraction of the left ventricle of the heart. In a healthy person, the pulse reflects the heartbeat—the rate of pulse is the same as the rate of contractions in the heart muscle. Respiration is the act of breathing. Resting respirations are measured in breaths per minute. Blood pressure is the measure of the pressure the blood exerts as it moves through the arteries. Systolic pressure is the pressure of the blood as a result of contraction of the ventricles of the heart. Diastolic pressure is the pressure when the ventricles are at rest and is lower than systolic pressure.

Critical Thinking
Look at the table and conversion formula on page 832 to answer these questions.
• A 12-year-old boy has a pulse rate of 107. Does his pulse fall in the normal or abnormal range for his age?
• In your own words, explain what the term “vital signs” means. What does “vital” mean? Rewrite the table name and the column headings to communicate the importance of this information.
• Look at the column called Respiratory rate/minute. Explain “rate/minute” in your own words.
• Why do you think the ratio for our respiratory rate changes as people age?

readers journal
In what situations do you like to work with numbers? When do you find such work difficult?

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