Vital Signs and Measurement Lecture Notes

These vocabulary flashcards cover the key clinical terms, vital sign measurement techniques, and medical conditions discussed in the lecture transcript.

SpO2

The measurement of oxygen saturation in the blood.

Vital Signs

Key measurements including blood pressure, heart rate (pulse), respiration, temperature, SpO2, and pain that provide information about a person's health status.

Subjective Information

Clinical information that must be reported by the client, such as their pain level or a description of a sharp pain in the knee.

Objective Information

Information gathered through measurable signs or observations, such as heart rate, blood pressure, swelling, or skin being clammy.

Baseline

A client's individual 'normal' vital sign values used as a reference to identify unusual changes or trends.

Tachycardia

A heart rate that is abnormally fast, typically defined as being above $100$ beats per minute.

Bradycardia

A heart rate that is abnormally slow, typically defined as being below $60$ beats per minute.

Hemorrhage

Severe bleeding indicated by signs such as a high heart rate combined with low blood pressure.

Myocardial Infarction (MI)

Commonly known as a heart attack, it is often linked to lifestyle factors like smoking $40$ cigarettes per day, alcohol consumption, and high cholesterol.

Raised Intracranial Pressure (ICP)

Pressure within the skull that can cause projectile vomiting, dilated pupils, and specific vital sign changes like high blood pressure with a low pulse.

Core Temperature

The internal temperature of the body, measured most accurately by invasive methods like the rectal probe.

Tympanic

The method of taking temperature through the ear.

Axillary

A temperature measurement method involving the underarm; it measures surface temperature rather than core temperature.

Hyperthermia

A condition where the body temperature becomes dangerously high.

Hypothermia

A condition where the body temperature becomes dangerously low, often indicated by shivering as the body attempts to generate heat.

Arteries

Blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart; they have elastic tissues that expand and contract with the heartbeat.

Carotid Pulse

The pulse found in the neck, used primarily in emergencies or CPR to check for circulation to the brain.

Radial Pulse

The pulse found at the wrist, located at the base of the thumb.

Brachial Pulse

The pulse found on the inner aspect of the arm above the elbow, used to align the blood pressure cuff.

Bounding Pulse

A very strong pulse that feels like it is pushing against the fingers and may be visible to the naked eye.

Thready Pulse

A pulse that is weak and fine, resembling the feel of a thread.

Blood Pressure

The force exerted by the blood against the walls of the arteries, measured in units of $\text{mmHg}$.

Systole

The phase of the heartbeat when the heart is actively pumping blood out of the left ventricle.

Diastole

The phase of the heartbeat when the heart relaxes and refills with blood.

Sphygmomanometer

The instrument used to measure blood pressure, consisting of an inflatable cuff, a manual bulb (valve), and a manometer (dial).

Aneurysm

A ballooning or weakening of an artery wall that can rupture due to high blood pressure.

Diaphragm

The primary muscle of respiration that moves down to allow the lungs to inflate.

Sternocleidomastoid

An accessory muscle in the neck that may become visible when a client is struggling to breathe.

Blood Pressure Baseline (Palpation Method)

A preliminary step where the cuff is inflated while feeling the brachial pulse to determine the point where the pulse disappears, establishing how high to pump for the actual measurement.