Keyterms 146-156

Vital signs

Measurements-specifically pulse rate, temperature, respiration rate, and blood pressure- that indicate the state of a patients essential body functions.

Homeostasis

The maintenance of stable internal physiological conditions(like body temperature or the pH of blood), which enables the optimal functioning of an organism.

Pulse

The rhythmic expansion and recoil of arteries resulting from heart contraction.

Respiratory rate

The number of breaths an organism takes per minute.

Blood pressure

The pressure that blood exerts upon the walls of blood vessels, especially arteries, usually measured with a sphygmomanometer and expressed in millimeters of mercury.

Triage

The sorting and prioritization of patients based on the urgency of their need for care.

Systolic pressure/Systole

The systolic pressure measures the pressure generated in the arteries by the hearts left ventricle during systole(heart contracts to push blood throughout the body). (Systole) The stage in a heart beat when contraction of heart pushes blood out of the chambers and into the aorta and pulmonary artery.

Diastolic pressure/Diastole

The diastolic pressure measures the pressure in the arteries between heart beats, when the heart is relaxed, also known as diastole(heart is at rest, allowing the chambers to fill with blood). (Diastole) The stage in a heart beat when the heart is relaxed and the heart chambers fill with blood.

Hypertension

An abnormally high blood pressure.

Cancer

A disease caused when cell divide uncontrollably and spread into surrounding tissue.