Ch 26 - Vital Signs

HIT - Terms to know

afebrile

A condition in which the body temperature is not elevated.

apnea

Absence of breathing.

blood pressure

Force of blood against arterial walls.

bradycardia

Slow heart rate.

bradypnea

Slow rate of breathing.

diastolic pressure

Least amount of pressure exerted on arterial walls when the heart is at rest.

dyspnea

Difficult or labored breathing.

dysrhythmia

An abnormal cardiac rhythm.

eupnea

Normal respirations.

febrile

Condition in which the body temperature is elevated.

fever

Elevation above the upper limit of normal body temperature; synonym for pyrexia.

hypertension

Blood pressure elevated above the upper limit of normal.

hyperthermia

High body temperature.

hypotension

Blood pressure below the lower limit of normal.

hypothermia

Low body temperature.

Korotkoff sounds

Series of sounds corresponding to changes in blood flow through an artery as pressure is released.

orthopnea

Type of dyspnea in which breathing is easier when the patient sits or stands.

orthostatic hypotension

Temporary fall in blood pressure associated with assuming an upright position.

pulse

Wave produced in the wall of an artery with each beat of the heart.

pulse deficit

Difference between the apical and radial pulse rates.

pulse pressure

Difference between systolic and diastolic pressures.

respiration

Gas exchange between the atmospheric air in the alveoli and blood in the capillaries.

systolic pressure

Highest point of pressure on arterial walls when the ventricles contract.

tachycardia

Rapid heart rate.

tachypnea

Rapid rate of breathing.

temperature

Refers to the hotness or coldness of a substance.

vital signs

Body temperature, pulse and respiratory rates, and blood pressure; synonym for cardinal signs.