Which vitals should be recorded on a casualty care record in the field?

• A. BP, HR, RR, SpO2 (if available), mental status
• B. Temperature only
• C. Pulse oximetry only
• D. Blood pressure only

Answer: (A)

In field casualty care, recording a comprehensive set of vital signs is essential to monitor stability and guide treatment. The best set includes blood pressure and heart rate to assess circulation and potential shock, respiratory rate to gauge ventilation and breathing effort, SpO2 if available to track oxygenation, and mental status to detect changes in brain function and overall neurologic status. Together, these measurements give a fuller picture of how the patient is faring than any single sign alone. If only one measure could be taken, you’d risk missing critical changes, but collecting this combination provides a reliable, actionable snapshot. The other options fall short because they capture only one aspect—temperature alone doesn’t reflect perfusion or oxygenation, and choosing just pulse oximetry or just blood pressure omits important facets of the patient’s condition.