Health Assessment Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering health assessment terminology, patient positioning, percussion sounds, and vital sign measurements from the lecture notes.

Auscultation

Listening to sounds within organs to help diagnosis & treatment

Bell

smaller part of a stethoscope used to hear low pitched sounds

Diaphram

the larger part of the stethoscope used to hear high pitched sounds

Diastolic Blood Pressure

pressure in arteries when the heart relaxes

Diurnal Vanations

normal changes in body measurements that happen depending on the time of day

Dorsal Recumbent

lying on the back w/ knees bent & feet flat on the table (bed)

Dull

a percussion sound heard over dense or solid organs, such as the liver

Fetal Position

lying on your side with knees pulled toward the chest

Flat

a very soft, high pitched percussion sound heard over very dense areas, ex muscle or bone

Hand Hygeine

cleaning hands w/ soap or hand sanitizer

Hyperresonance

an unusually loud, hollow percussion sound caused by more air than normal in an area

Infection Control

practices used to prevent infections & stop the spread of germs

Inpod Position

sitting & leaning forward w/ arms supported, making breathing easier

Inspection

looking carefully at the patient to check abnormalities

Korothoff Sounds

the sounds heard through a stethoscope while taking manual blood pressure

Lateral Recumbent

lying on the side

Manual blood pressure measurement

measuring BP using a manual BP cuff instead of an automatic machine

Orthostatic hypotension

a drop in BP when standing up, sometimes causing dizziness or faintness

Oscillometric BP

BP measured by an automatic / electric BP machine

Oxygen Saturation

percentage of hemoglobin carrying oxygen in the blood

Palpation

using your hands to feel the body for things like temperature, tenderness, texture, or lumps

Physiologic

related to the normal functions & processes of the body

Prone

lying flat on the stomach, face down

Pulse Pressure

the difference between the systolic & diastolic BP

Purcussion

tapping on the body & listening to the sound to determine what is underneath

Rate

number of times something happens in one minute, ex heart rate

Resonant

the normal, hollow percussion sound usually heard over healthy lungs

Rythm

the pattern of something, ex whether the heartbeat is regular or irregular

Sims Position

lying mostly on the left side w/ the upper leg bent toward the chest

Stethoscope

instrument used to listen to sounds inside the body

Supine

lying flat on the back, face up

Systolic BP

the pressure in the arteries when the heart contracts & pumps blood

Tympany

a loud, drum-like percussion sound usually heard over air-filled areas, such as the stomach