Temperature
The average oral temperature in Fahrenheit.
What is 98.6°F?
The normal adult pulse range in beats per minute.
What is 60–100 bpm?
The normal adult respiratory rate per minute.
What is 12–20 breaths per minute?
The normal adult blood pressure reading is considered around this number.
What is 120/80 mmHg?
The four main vital signs measured in healthcare.
What are temperature, pulse, respirations, and blood pressure?
The body site that usually gives the highest, most accurate temperature reading.
What is rectal?
The pulse located on the thumb side of the wrist.
What is the radial pulse?
Breathing that is abnormally rapid is called this.
What is tachypnea?
The top number in a blood pressure reading is called this.
What is systolic?
The vital sign sometimes considered the “fifth” vital sign.
What is pain?
A fever is generally defined as a body temperature at or above this number in Fahrenheit.
What is 100.4°F?
A pulse that feels irregular in rhythm is described as this.
What is irregular?
This term describes absence of breathing.
What is apnea?
A blood pressure reading of 140/90 mmHg or higher is classified as this.
What is hypertension?
Vital signs provide this type of information about a patient’s health.
What are baseline or overall body function indicators?
The temperature site most affected by external factors such as drinking hot/cold liquids.
What is oral?
The term for a heart rate below 60 beats per minute.
What is bradycardia?
A patient with noisy, difficult breathing may have this condition, often caused by obstruction.
What is stridor?
The sound heard when measuring blood pressure with a stethoscope and cuff.
What are Korotkoff sounds?
Vital signs should always be measured and recorded with this quality in mind.
What is accuracy?
The type of thermometer that uses infrared technology to measure heat from the temporal artery.
What is a temporal thermometer?
The pulse point found at the neck, alongside the trachea.
What is the carotid pulse?
Deep and labored breathing often seen in diabetic ketoacidosis.
What are Kussmaul respirations?
The cuff used to measure blood pressure is properly called this.
What is a sphygmomanometer?
The term used for comparing current vital signs with a patient’s usual normal values.
What are baseline comparisons?