Vital Signs Practice Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering the physiology, assessment sites, normal ranges, and clinical variations for Temperature, Pulse, Respirations, and Blood Pressure.

Vital Signs (VS)

Clinical measurements, including temperature, pulse, respiration, and blood pressure, that indicate the state of a patient's essential body functions.

Baseline Vital Signs

Initial measurements that serve as a reference point to compare future serial measurements and determine if changes are significant.

Core Temperature

The temperature of the central circulation and internal organs (head, chest, and abdomen), which is the ultimate goal of temperature measurement.

Hypothalamus

The body’s temperature regulation center or "thermostat" that activates heat loss or production mechanisms to maintain a normal core temperature.

Pyrexia (Fever)

Also known as being "febrile," it is a high temperature (hyperthermia) occurring as a response to bacteria, virus, or tissue breakdown while thermoregulatory mechanisms remain intact.

Normal Oral Temperature Range

The standard range is $96.4 - 99.1^{\circ}F$ ($35.8 - 37.3^{\circ}C$), with the gold standard being $98.6^{\circ}F$ ($37.0^{\circ}C$).

Diaphoresis

Sweating, which is a heat loss mechanism used by the body during the "defervescence" (fever abatement) stage.

Hyperthermia

A dysfunction of thermoregulatory mechanisms where the body is unable to lose heat, often caused by factors like hot weather or dehydration.

Hypothermia

A state where the body temperature is abnormally low, usually caused by exposure to cold, but can also be therapeutically induced to decrease oxygen demands.

Tympanic Thermometer

A device that measures the temperature of blood flowing near the tympanic membrane, which shares blood supply with the hypothalamus.

Posterior Sublingual Pocket

The specific placement site required for a probe to obtain an accurate oral temperature reading.

Pulse

The peripheral pressure wave transmitted from the left ventricle to the aorta and then to peripheral vessels, serving as an indirect assessment of cardiac output.

Cardiac Output ($CO$)

The volume of blood pumped by the heart each minute, calculated as $C.O. = S.V. \times HR$. The normal range is $4 - 6\,L/min$.

Stroke Volume ($SV$)

The volume of blood pumped with each individual heartbeat, with a normal range of $60 - 80\,cc/beat$.

Pedal Pulses

A collective term for the Posterior Tibial ($PT$) and Dorsalis Pedis ($DP$) assessment sites.

Apical Pulse

The pulse at the apex of the heart, located at the 4th–5th intercostal space ($ICS$) at or medial to the left midclavicular line ($MCL$), typically counted for one full minute.

Bradycardia

A resting heart rate that is generally less than $60\,bpm$ according to the American Heart Association.

Tachycardia

A resting heart rate that is greater than $100\,bpm$ according to the American Heart Association.

Pulse Amplitude Scale

A scale ranging from $0$ to $3+$ used to describe pulse force: $0$ is absent, $1+$ is weak/thready, $2+$ is normal, and $3+$ is full/bounding.

Eupnea

The term for a normal adult respiratory rate, which is typically $10-20$ breaths/minute.

Dyspnea

A subjective feeling of shortness of breath ($SOB$).

Orthopnea

Difficulty breathing (dyspnea) that increases when a person lies down, often measured by the number of pillows needed for comfort.

Cheyne-Stokes

A cycle of breathing that alternates between increased rate and depth and periods of apnea.

Kussmaul Respirations

Respirations that are abnormally rapid and deep.

Systolic Pressure

The force or pressure exerted on the walls of the arteries when the left ventricle contracts.

Diastolic Pressure

The force or pressure exerted on the walls of the arteries when the heart is filling.

Peripheral Vascular Resistance ($PVR$)

The semi-contracted state of arteries that maintains constant resistance to blood flow; it is a primary factor in blood pressure regulation ($BP = CO \times PVR$).

Pulse Pressure

The difference between the systolic and diastolic pressure measurements; the normal range is $30 - 40\,mmHg$.

Korotkoff Sounds

Sounds produced by the turbulence of partial arterial flow obstruction, used to identify systolic (Phase I) and diastolic (Phase V) blood pressure.

Orthostatic Hypotension

A decrease in systolic blood pressure greater than $20\,mmHg$ and an increase in pulse of $10 - 20\,bpm$ when moving from a lying to a standing position.