Vital Signs

Apnea

absence of breathing

Bounding

a pulse that feels full and springlike on palpation as a result of an increased thrust of cardiac contraction or an increased volume of circulating blood within the elastic structures of the vascular system.

Dyspnea

difficult or labored breathing

Essential hypertension

elevated blood pressure of unknown cause that develops for no apparent reason; sometimes called primary hypertension

Febrile

fever

febrile seizures

Seizures that result from sudden high fevers, particularly in children.

hyperpnea

increase in depth of breathing

Hyperventilation

Abnormally prolonged and deep breathing

intermittent pulse

pulse in which beats are occasionally skipped

orthopnea

ability to breathe comfortably only in an upright position

Orthostatic (postural) hypotension

A temporary fall in blood pressure when a person rapidly changes from a recumbent position to a standing position

Pulse deficit

difference between the apical and radial pulse rates

apical pulse

pulse taken with a stethoscope and near the apex of the heart

pulse pressure

the difference between systolic and diastolic blood pressure (30-50 mm Hg normal)

pyrexia

fever

Rales

abnormal crackling sound made during inspiration

Rhonchi

loud rumbling sounds heard on auscultation during expiration of bronchi obstructed by sputum

secondary hypertension

high blood pressure caused by the effects of another disease

Sinus arrhythmia

A sinus rhythm in which the rate varies with respiration, causing an irregular rhythm.

stertorous breathing

breathing that occurs when air travels through secretions in the air passage; snoring

Tachycardia

Abnormally rapid heartbeat

Thready pulse

A pulse with a decreased volume that feels weak and thin

wheezing

High pitched sound heard in the lungs with asthmatics or lung disease

TPR and BP

temperature, pulse, respiration, blood pressure

Continuous fever

A fever that remains constant above the baseline, does not fluctuate.

Intermittent fever

a body temperature that alternates at regular intervals between periods of fever and periods of normal or subnormal temperatures

Remittent fever

Fluctuating, remains elevated and does not return to baseline

antipyretic

Medication used to reduce a fever

axillary

armpit

carotid pulse

the pulse felt along the large carotid artery on either side of the neck

Radial pulse

the pulse felt at the wrist

temporal pulse

Pulse on each side of temple: temporal artery

brachial pulse

beating or throbbing felt over the brachial artery, usually palpated in the antecubital space

femoral pulse

pulse of the femoral artery felt in the groin

dorsalis pedis pulse

Pulse on the top of the foot lateral to the large tendon of the big toe

popliteal pulse

Pulse felt at the back of either knee

external respiration

exchange of gases in the lungs

internal respiration

Exchange of gases between cells of the body and the blood

systolic pressure

Blood pressure in the arteries during contraction of the ventricles.

diastolic pressure

occurs when the ventricles are relaxed; the lowest pressure against the walls of an artery

Prehypertension

Systolic: 120-139

Diastolic: 80-89

Korotkoff sounds

series of sounds that correspond to changes in blood flow through an artery as pressure is released

Korotkoff phase I

Sound is a sharper thump or tapping that corresponds with the clients systolic blood pressure, first sound heard

Korotkoff phase II

the period during deflation when the sounds have a muffled, whooshing, or swishing quality

Korotkoff phase III

distinct, sharp tapping sounds return and continue rhythmically

Korotkoff phase IV

muffling and fading (diastolic in children), fading sound

Korotkoff phase V

sounds disappear, diastolic in adults

auscultatory gap

a brief period when Korotkoff sounds disappear during auscultation of blood pressure; common with hypertension

pulse oximetry

noninvasive technique that measures the oxygen saturation of arterial blood

anthropometry

the scientific study of the measurements and proportions of the human body.

FACES pain scale

Child as young as 3 can use. Six cartoon faces range smile- cry

child chooses face that best describes how they feel .

visual analog scale

a pain rating scale using a straight line; the left end of the line represents no pain, the right end represents the worst pain, and patients mark the place on the line that best represents the severity of their pain

Numerical Pain Rating Scale

pain scale with 0 meaning no pain and 10 being the worst pain ever

referred pain

pain that is felt in a location other than where the pain originates

diaphoresis

profuse sweating

Fever of unknown origin (FUO)

temperature over 100.9 F that lasts 3 weeks in adults and 1 week in children without a known diagnosis