What vital signs must be displayed simultaneously on the monitor?

• A. Heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate.
• B. Continuous ECG waveform, SpO2, and ETCO2 waveform.
• C. Temperature, SpO2, and ETCO2.
• D. ECG waveform only.

Answer: (B)

The essential idea is to have a real-time view of the heart, oxygenation, and ventilation all at once. A continuous ECG waveform lets you watch the heart’s rhythm and detect arrhythmias or ischemia as they happen. SpO2 shows how well the blood is carrying oxygen to tissues, so you can spot hypoxemia early. The ETCO2 waveform provides information about ventilation and how effectively CO2 is being eliminated, helping confirm airway patency and assess ventilatory status. Together, these three pieces give a complete, at-a-glance picture of how the cardio-respiratory system is functioning. The other options miss one or more of these critical aspects: they either omit rhythm/ventilation together, rely only on basic vitals without the waveform data, or focus on temperature instead of heart rhythm and ventilation.