What is an example of a definition of vital signs?

Vital signs are a crucial aspect of patient assessment and are defined as the measurements of body functions that indicate the physiological status of a patient. This includes key indicators such as body temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure. These measurements provide essential information about a patient's health and can help identify potential medical issues or the need for further evaluation.

While indicators of patient pain levels and patient history information are important for understanding a patient's overall condition, they do not directly measure vital functions of the body. Similarly, surgical notes document procedures and findings during a surgical operation but do not encompass what is traditionally defined as vital signs. Therefore, the correct answer reflects the essential nature of vital signs as objective measurements that are critical in various healthcare settings.