Ch29 Vital Signs Key Terms Nursing Fundamentals Bernardxb

Front 1

Afebrile

Back 1

absence of a fever

Front 2

Apical pulse

Back 2

a central pulse located at the apex of the heart

Front 3

Apical-radial pulse

Back 3

measurement of the apical and radial pulse simultaneously

Front 4

Apnea

Back 4

a complete absence of respirations

Front 5

Arrhythmia

Back 5

an irregular heart rhythm

Front 6

Arterial blood pressure

Back 6

the measure of the pressure exerted by the blood as it pulsates through the arteries

Front 7

Arteriosclerosis

Back 7

a condition in which the elastic and muscular tissues of the arteries are replaced with fibrous tissue

Front 8

Auscultatory gap

Back 8

"the temporary disappearance of sounds normally heard over the brachial artery when the sphygmomanometer cuff pressure is high, followed by the reappearance of sounds at a lower level"

Front 9

Basal metabolic rate (BMR)

Back 9

the rate of energy utilization in the body required to maintain essential activities such as breathing

Front 10

Body temperature

Back 10

the balance between the heat produced by the body and the heat lost from the body

Front 11

Bradycardia

Back 11

"abnormally slow pulse rate, less than 60 beats per minute"

Front 12

Bradypnea

Back 12

"abnormally slow respiratory rate, usually less than 10 respirations per minute"

Front 13

Compliance

Back 13

the extent to which an individual's behavior coincides with medical or health advice

Front 14

Conduction

Back 14

the transfer of heat from one molecule to another in direct contact

Front 15

Constant fever

Back 15

a state in which the body temperature fluctuates minimally but always remains above normal

Front 16

Convection

Back 16

the dispersion of heat by air currents

Front 17

Core temperature

Back 17

"the temperature of the deep tissues of the body (e.g., abdominal cavity, pelvic cavity). When measured orally, the average body temperature of an adult is between 36.7øC and 37øC (98øF and 98.6øF)"

Front 18

Costal (thoracic) breathing

Back 18

movement of the chest upward and outward

Front 19

Diaphragmatic (abdominal) breathing

Back 19

"breathing that involves the contraction and relaxation of the diaphragm, as observed by the movement of the abdomen"

Front 20

Diastolic pressure

Back 20

the pressure of the blood against the arterial walls when the ventricles of the heart are at rest

Front 21

Dysrhythmia

Back 21

a pulse with an irregular rhythm

Front 22

Elasticity of the arterial wall

Back 22

expansibility or stretching of the vessels

Front 23

Exhalation (expiration)

Back 23

"breathing out, or the movement of gases from the lungs to the atmosphere"

Front 24

Expiration (exhalation)

Back 24

the outflow of air from the lungs to the atmosphere

Front 25

Febrile

Back 25

pertaining to a fever; feverish

Front 26

Fever

Back 26

elevated body temperature

Front 27

Fever spike

Back 27

a temperature that rises to fever level rapidly following a normal temperature and then returns to normal within a few hours

Front 28

Heat balance

Back 28

the state a person is in when the amount of heat produced by the body exactly equals the amount of heat lost

Front 29

Heat exhaustion

Back 29

condition that is the result of excessive heat and dehydration

Front 30

Heat stroke

Back 30

life-threatening condition with body temperature greater than 106øF

Front 31

Hematocrit

Back 31

the proportion of red blood cells (erythrocytes) to the total blood volume

Front 32

Hyperpyrexia

Back 32

"an extremely high body temperature (e.g., 41øC [105.8øF])"

Front 33

Hypertension

Back 33

an abnormally high blood pressure; over 140 mmHg systolic and/or 90 mmHg diastolic

Front 34

Hyperthermia

Back 34

a body temperature above the usual range

Front 35

Hyperventilation

Back 35

"very deep, rapid respirations"

Front 36

Hypotension

Back 36

an abnormally low blood pressure; less than 100 mmHg systolic in an adult

Front 37

Hypothalamic integrator

Back 37

the center in the brain that controls the core temperature; located in the preoptic area of the hypothalamus

Front 38

Hypothermia

Back 38

a core body temperature below the lower limit of normal

Front 39

Hypoventilation

Back 39

very shallow respirations

Front 40

Inhalation

Back 40

the intake of air into the lungs

Front 41

Insensible heat loss

Back 41

"heat loss that occurs from evaporation (vaporization) of moisture from the respiratory tract, mucosa of the mouth, and the skin"

Front 42

Insensible water loss

Back 42

continuous and unnoticed water loss

Front 43

Inspiration

Back 43

see Inhalation

Front 44

Intermittent fever

Back 44

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

Front 45

Korotkoff's sounds

Back 45

the five phases of blood pressure sounds

Front 46

Orthostatic hypotension

Back 46

decrease in blood pressure related to positional or postural changes from lying to sitting or standing positions

Front 47

Peripheral pulse

Back 47

"a pulse located in the periphery of the body (e.g., foot, hand, or neck)"

Front 48

Point of maximal impulse (PMI)

Back 48

the point where the apex of the heart touches the anterior chest wall and heart movements are most easily observed and palpated

Front 49

Polypnea

Back 49

abnormally fast respirations

Front 50

Pulse

Back 50

the wave of blood within an artery that is created by contraction of the left ventricle of the heart

Front 51

Pulse deficit

Back 51

the difference between the apical pulse and the radial pulse

Front 52

Pulse oximeter

Back 52

a noninvasive device that measures the arterial blood oxygen saturation by means of a sensor attached to the finger or other location

Front 53

Pulse pressure

Back 53

the difference between the systolic and the diastolic blood pressure

Front 54

Pulse rhythm

Back 54

the pattern of the beats and intervals between the beats

Front 55

Pulse volume

Back 55

"the strength or amplitude of the pulse, the force of blood exerted with each heart beat"

Front 56

Pyrexia

Back 56

a body temperature above the normal range; fever

Front 57

Radiation

Back 57

the transfer of heat from the surface of one object to the surface of another without contact between the two objects

Front 58

Relapsing fever

Back 58

the occurrence of short febrile periods of a few days interspersed with periods of 1 or 2 days of normal temperature

Front 59

Remittent fever

Back 59

"the occurrence of a wide range of temperature fluctuations, more than 2øC (3.6øF) over the 24-hour period, all of which are above normal"

Front 60

Respiration

Back 60

the act of breathing; includes the intake of oxygen and the output of carbon dioxide from the cells to the atmosphere

Front 61

Respiratory character

Back 61

see Respiratory quality

Front 62

Respiratory quality

Back 62

"refers to those aspects of breathing that are different from normal, effortless breathing, includes the amount of effort exerted to breathe and the sounds produced by breathing"

Front 63

Respiratory rhythm

Back 63

refers to the regularity of the expirations and the inspirations

Front 64

Surface temperature

Back 64

"the temperature of tissue, the subcutaneous tissue, and fat"

Front 65

Systolic pressure

Back 65

the pressure of the blood against the arterial walls when the ventricles of the heart contract

Front 66

Tachycardia

Back 66

an abnormally rapid pulse rate; greater than 100 beats per minute

Front 67

Tachypnea

Back 67

abnormally fast respirations; usually more than 24 respirations per minute

Front 68

Tidal volume

Back 68

the volume of air that is normally inhaled and exhaled

Front 69

Vaporization

Back 69

continuous evaporation of moisture from the respiratory tract and from the mucosa of the mouth and from the skin

Front 70

Ventilation

Back 70

the movement of air in and out of the lungs; the process of inhalation and exhalation

Front 71

Viscous

Back 71

"thick, sticky"

Front 72

Vital signs

Back 72

"body temperature, pulse, respiration, and blood pressure. Many agencies have designated pain as the fifth vial sign"