Vital Signs Key Terms

Apical Pulse

taken at apex of the heart and taken with stethoscope

Apnea

absence of respiration, usually temporary

Arrythmia

problem with rate/rhythm of heart (slow/fast/irregular)

Aural

temperature is taken with special thermometer placed in the ear

Axillary

temperature taken in armpit (avg. 97.6)

Blood Pressure

measurement of pressure that blood experts on the walls of the artery

Bradycardia

heart beats less than 60 BPM (slow)

Bradypnea

respiratory rate below 10 BPM (slow)

Character

depth/quality of respirations

Cheyne-Stokes

atypical pattern of breathing w/ deep breaths then shallow breaths (usually means they're dying)

Clinical Thermometers

used to record temperature; slender glass tube

Cyanosis

dusky, bluish discoloration of skin, lips and nail beds (decreased oxygen in blood)

Diastolic

pressure in the arteries when the heart is relaxed between beats

Dysapnea

difficult/labored breathing

Electronic Thermometers

register temperature in seconds

Homeostatis

constant state of fluid balance

Hypertension

pressure in blood vessels is too high (above 140/90)

Hyperthermia

high body temperature (above/at 104°)

Hypotension

pressure in blood vessels is too low (less 90/60)

Hypothermia

low body temperature (below 95)

Oral

temperature are taken in mouth (avg. 98.6)

Orthopnea

shortness of breath that happens when lying down (supine position) and is relieved by standing up

Pulse

pressure of blood felt against wall of artery as heart contracts

Pulse Deficit

when the heart beats faster than the palpable pulse felt at distal and apical pulses

Pulse Pressure

the difference between systolic and diastolic blood pressure

Pyrexia

term for fever (febrile-present/ afebrile-non-present)

Rales

bubbling/noisy sounds caused by fluids/mucus in passageway

Rate

number of beats per minute of pulse

Rectal

temperature taken at rectum (avg. 99.6)

Respirations

process of taking oxygen and expelling carbon dioxide from lungs

Rhythm

regularity of pulse

Sphygmomanometer

instrument used to read blood pressure

Stethoscope

used at apex of heart to listen for heart beat

Systolic

the force of the blood flow when blood is pumped out of the heart

Tachycardia

pulse rate over 100 BPM (fast)

Tachypnea

respiratory rate above 25 RPM (rapid breathing)

Temperature

measurement of balance between lost/heat produced by body

Tynpanic Thermometers

specialized electric therm. that records aural temperature in ear

Vital Signs

various determinations that provide information about basic body condition of patient

Volume

strength of pulse

Wheezing

difficulty breathing with high pitched whistling/sighing sound during expiration

Fever

elevated body temperature (above 101)

Pain

An unpleasant sensation that is perceived in the nervous system when illness/injury occurs

Temporal Temperature

Measurement of the body temperature at the temporal artery on the forehead

Temporal scanning thermometers

tool used to measure the temporal artery on the forehead using an infrared scanner