15:1 Vital Signs
The four main examples of this are: temperature, pulse, respirations and blood pressure.
What are vital signs?
Low body temperature (below 95oF or 35oC).
What is Hypothermia?
The pressure of the blood pushing against the wall of an artery as the heart beats and rests.
What is pulse?
The term for the process of taking in oxygen (O2) and expelling carbon dioxide (CO2) from the lungs and respiratory tract.
What is respiration?
Low blood pressure (systolic pressure is less than 90 mm HG and diastolic pressure is less than 60 mm Hg).
What is hypotension?
A measurement of the balance between heat lost and heat produced by the body.
What is temperature?
The term for an elevated body temperature, usually above 101oF or 33.9oC.
What is fever or pyrexia?
The pulse felt at the neck on either side of the trachea.
What is carotid?
The term for breathing out.
What is expiration?
One type of blood pressure that occurs in the walls of the arteries when the left ventricle is contracting and pushing blood into the arteries.
What is systolic?
The pressure of the blood felt against the wall of an artery as the heart contracts and relaxes.
What is pulse?
Specialized electronic thermometers that record the aural temperature in the ear.
What are tympanic thermometers?
The pulse felt at the inner aspect of the forearm at the antecubital space (i.e., crease of the elbow).
What is brachial?
Three different facts that must be noted each time respiration is measured.
What is the rate, the character, and the rhythm of respirations.
The constant pressure in the walls of the arteries when the left ventricle is at rest, or between contractions.
What is diastolic?
The number of beats per minute.
What is rate?
A constant state of fluid balance, which is the ideal health state in the human body.
What is homeostatis?
The pulse felt behind the knee.
What is popliteal?
The term for a dusky, bluish discoloration of the skin, lips and/or nail beds as a result of decreased oxygen (O2) and increased carbon dioxide (CO2) in the bloodstream.
What is cyanosis?
(p. 434)
The difference between systolic and diastolic pressure. This is an important indicator of the health and tone of arterial walls.
What is pulse pressure?
This is to be done if you note any abnormality or change in any vital sign.
What is report this immediately to your supervisor?
(p. 414)
The medical term when no fever is present or the body temperature is within the normal range.
What is afebrile?
(p. 416)
The pulse felt at the top of the foot arch. This is known as a distal pulse.
What is dorsalis pedis?
An abnormal breathing pattern characterized by periods of dyspnea followed by periods of apnea; frequently noted in the dying patient.
What is Cheyne-Stokes?
(p. 434)
An instrument used to measure blood pressure in mm Hg.
(correct answer is not BP cuff)
Correct pronunciation is crucial for full points.
What is a sphygmomanometer?