Vital signs questions for final exam

Which of the following is not classified as a classic vital sign?

Sensorium

Vital signs are classified as:

objective data.

Which of the following statements are accurate regarding vital signs?

vital signs are used to establish a baseline

vital signs monitor the response to therapy

vital signs monitor trends in the patient's status

A comatose patient who does not respond to any stimuli would have a Glasgow Coma Scale score of:

3.

The normal range for body temperature in most people is:

97.0° to 99.5° F orally

96.7° to 98.5° F axillary

98.7° to 100.5° F rectally

(All of the above)

Which of the following statements is true regarding oral temperature measurements?

They are the most convenient to obtain and most readily accepted by alert adults

What is the main advantage of tympanic thermometry over the classic forms of temperature measurement?

It is fast, clean, and noninvasive.

The normal pulse rate range for adults is:

60 to 100 beats/min.

What is an important reason to monitor the heart rate in patients with lung disease?

Tachycardia is a common finding when hypoxemia is present.

What should assessment of a patient’s pulse include?

Rate, rhythm, and strength

An appropriate site to measure the pulse of a patient with very low blood pressure is the:

femoral artery

The cough is a very important mechanism to the well-being of the body because it is:

a powerful protective reflex of the lungs.

Dyspnea tends to occur when which of the following is (are) present?  Choose all that apply.

Increase in the drive to breathe

Decrease in ventilatory capacity

What is the normal respiratory rate for an adult?

12 to 20 breaths/min

Orthopnea is the term used to describe shortness of breath in an upright position. true or false

false

The blood pressure is a measure of:

the force exerted against the walls of the arteries as blood flows through them.

Which of the following is not a common error associated with high blood pressure measurement?

Too wide a cuff

Hypotension occurs due to which of the following: (choose all that apply)

left ventricle is weak

the blood volume is reduced

vasodilation is excessive

side effect of certain medications

A normal respiratory rate for an infant is 20 BPM. true or false

False

How many chambers are in the human heart?

4

How many valves are in the human heart?

4

High blood pressure has clearly been identified as a major health risk, but low blood pressure could be dangerous, too. true or false

true

High blood pressure puts additional strain on which organs?

Heart

Lungs

Kidneys

Fever

elevation of body temperatue

Tachycardia

pulse rate above normal

Pulsus Alternans

alternating sucession of strong and weak pulse not related to respiratory disease

Tachypnea

respiratory rate above normal

Bradypnea

respiratory rate below normal

Korotkoff sounds

sounds that are heard through the stethescope while taking blood pressure

Pulsus Paradoxus

decrease in pulse pressure during spontaneous inspiration

Systolic

the pressure at which the first sound is heard when doing a blood pressure measurement

Diastolic

the pressure at which the last sound is heard when doing a blood pressure measurement

A 55 year old patient, who has been smoking a pack and a half of cigarettes (30 cigarettes) per day for 30 years. What is the patient’s smoking history?

45 pack-years

What artery is most often used to assess arterial blood pressure?

brachial

Normal heart sounds are created primarily by which of the following?

closing of the heart valves

What breathing pattern is associated with diabetic ketoacidosis?

Kussmaul breathing

What change in the patient’s respiratory breathing pattern is commonly seen with significant fever?

more rapid rate

What is the most common cause of hypothermia?

exposure to cold environment

What is the normal range for diastolic blood pressure in the adult patient?

60 to 90 mm Hg

What is the normal range for pulse pressure?

30 to 40 mm Hg

What is the normal range for systolic blood pressure in the adult patient?

90 to 140 mm Hg

What structure in the body is responsible for regulating the body temperature?

hypothalamus

What two factors determine cardiac output?

  stroke volume and heart rate

Which of the following is NOT a cause of hypotension?

mild tachycardia

Which of the following is NOT a common cause of tachypnea?

narcotic overdose

Which of the following is a common cause of pulsus paradoxus?

acute asthma attack

Which of the following is least likely to cause tachycardia?

hypothermia

Which of the following sites is closest to core body temperature?

rectal

Which of the following terms is used to describe coughing up blood-streaked sputum?

hemoptysis

While observing a patient’s breathing, you note that the depth and rate first increase, then decrease, followed by a period of apnea. Which of the following terms would you use in charting this observation?

Cheyne-Stokes breathing

Your patient has an abnormal sensorium. Which of the following is most likely true?

The patient is confused about where he or she is.