• By knowing the normal vitals, and asking a few questions it is easy to categorize this patient as critically ill. Although the vitals are abnormal, it is by combining them with the initial impression that gives us the most valuable data. The same set of vital signs on a patient that is awake, with normal perfusion, puts the child in a much less serious category.
• Practice the initial assessment often, as it is one of the most important tools in the pediatric evaluation
