Vital Signs

  • Afebrile: Without fever; a normal body temperature of 98.6°F

  • Apnea: Temporary cessation of breathing

  • Auscultatory Gap: A silent interval between Korotkoff sounds during blood pressure measurement

  • Blood Pressure: The force of blood against arterial walls, expressed in systolic/diastolic measurements

  • Bradycardia: A slower-than-normal heart rate <60 beats per minute in adults

  • Bradypnea: Abnormally slow breathing rate.

  • Diastolic Pressure: The pressure in the arteries when the heart is at rest between beats (the bottom number in a BP reading)

  • Dyspnea: Difficult or labored breathing

  • Dysrhythmia: An irregular or abnormal heart rhythm

  • Eupnea: Normal, unlabored breathing

  • Febrile: Having a fever or elevated body temperature

  • Fever: Elevated body temperature, usually due to infection or illness

  • Hypertension: Abnormally high blood pressure

  • Hyperthermia: Excessively high body temperature, usually due to environmental or medical conditions

  • Hyperventilation: Rapid or deep breathing, leading to decreased carbon dioxide levels in the blood

  • Hypotension: Abnormally low blood pressure

  • Hypothermia: Dangerously low body temperature, often due to prolonged exposure to cold

  • Hypoventilation: Shallow or slow breathing, resulting in increased carbon dioxide levels in the blood

  • Korotkoff Sounds: The sounds heard while measuring blood pressure with a stethoscope and cuff

  • Orthopnea: Difficulty breathing while lying flat, relieved by sitting or standing

  • Orthostatic Hypotension: A drop in blood pressure upon standing, often causing dizziness or fainting

  • Pulse: The rhythmic expansion of an artery caused by the ejection of blood from the heart

  • Pulse Deficit: The difference between the apical pulse and the radial pulse

  • Pulse Pressure: The difference between systolic and diastolic blood pressures

  • Pyrexia: Another term for fever or elevated body temperature

  • Respirations: The process of inhaling and exhaling; the rate of breathing

  • Systolic Pressure: The pressure in the arteries during heart contraction (the top number in a BP reading)

  • Tachycardia: A faster-than-normal heart rate >100 beats per minute in adults

  • Tachypnea: Abnormally rapid breathing rate

  • Temperature: A measure of the body’s heat, reflecting metabolic activity and thermoregulation

  • Vital Signs: Clinical measurements indicating the state of essential body functions: temperature, pulse, respiration, and blood pressure