If a patient is unstable, how often should you reassess?

• A. Every 5 Minutes
• B. Every 2 Minutes
• C. Every 15 Minutes
• D. Every 30 Minutes

Answer: (A)

In unstable patients, conditions can change quickly, so you need frequent checks to catch deterioration early and to see how well treatments are working. Reassessing every 5 minutes provides a timely, practical balance: you can monitor vital signs, mental status, and perfusion without pausing care too long or missing a trend in the patient’s condition. If the patient is actively deteriorating or in resuscitation, you might reassess more often, but longer gaps like 15 or 30 minutes risk missing important changes. So, the standard interval for an unstable patient is a 5-minute reassessment.