What term describes orthostatic vital signs taken in supine, dangle, and standing positions?

• A. Postural vital signs
• B. Posturing
• C. Polyp
• D. Prognosis

Answer: (A)

Measuring how vital signs change with body position to assess orthostatic stability. The term for taking blood pressure and heart rate in multiple positions—supine, dangling (sitting up), and standing—is postural vital signs. This approach reveals how well the cardiovascular system maintains cerebral perfusion when gravity shifts blood toward the legs.

Healthy circulation keeps BP and HR relatively stable across positions. If there’s dehydration, blood loss, or autonomic dysfunction, you’ll often see a drop in blood pressure with standing and a compensatory increase in heart rate. A common clinical criterion is a drop of about 20 mmHg in systolic BP or 10 mmHg in diastolic BP within a few minutes of standing, sometimes accompanied by a heart rate increase.

The other terms don’t fit this concept: posturing refers to body position, polyp is a growth, and prognosis is the expected outcome of a condition.