Which vital signs are assessed to evaluate circulation?

The assessment of circulation primarily focuses on how effectively blood is being pumped throughout the body and the overall health of the cardiovascular system. Heart rate, heart strength, and cardiac output are all critical parameters for assessing circulation.

Heart rate indicates how many times the heart beats per minute, which is vital to determine if the body is adequately perfusing organs and tissues. Heart strength refers to the force generated by the heart to pump blood; stronger contractions can improve circulation, especially in cases of compromised cardiovascular function. Lastly, cardiac output, defined as the volume of blood the heart pumps per minute, is a key indicator of overall circulatory efficiency. It integrates heart rate and stroke volume, highlighting how effectively the heart is functioning in delivering oxygen-rich blood to the body.

In contrast, the other options include parameters that either focus more broadly on systemic conditions or pertain to other systems, rather than specifically evaluating circulation. For example, heart rate, blood pressure, and temperature are important but do not provide the same focused assessment of heart function as heart strength and cardiac output. Similarly, gas exchange measurements like PaCO2, PaO2, and SpO2 relate to respiratory function rather than directly assessing circulation. Lastly, noting respiration rate, skin color, and sensorium provides