Vital Signs Terminolgy

Front 1

Core Temperature

Back 1

temp. at center of body or in deep tissues (i.e. cranium, thoracic, abdominal, and pelvic cavities); more constant than skin temp. (Fund. 118-119)

Front 2

Afebrile

Back 2

without fever (Tabers pg. 56)

Front 3

Febrile

Back 3

fever/feverish, increased body temp. (Skills pg. 252)

Front 4

Fever

Back 4

-abnormal elevation of temp. >96.8-98.6 F (normal) or >36-37 C (Tabers pg. 862)

-regulated rise in body temp. that is mediated by a rise in temp. set point (Fund. pg. 700)

Front 5

Hyperthermia

Back 5

-body temp. elevated above the normal range
-usually high fever >105.8 F or 41 C
-caused by the environment (Tabers pg. 1126)

Front 6

Hypothermia

Back 6

-body temp. lowered below normal range
-<35 C or 95 F
-due to environment (Tabers pg. 1139)

Front 7

Heat Exhaustion

Back 7

-rise in body temp. >normal <40.6 C or 105 F that is usually related to inadequate fluid and electrolyte replacement during physical activity in intense heat or ability to acclimatize intense heat (Fund. pg. 703)

Front 8

Heat Stroke

Back 8

condition caused by failure of body's heat regulating mechanisms during or after exposure to heat and high relative humidity (Tabers pg. 1027)

Front 9

Pyrexia

Back 9

to have fever/a fever (Tabers pg. 1952)

Front 10

Pulse

Back 10

rhythmic fluctuation of fluid pressure against the arterial wall created by the pumping action of heart muscle (Fund. pg. 122)

Front 11

Bradycardia

Back 11

heart rate/pulse rate below 60 BPM (Skills pg. 252)

Front 12

Tachycardia

Back 12

heart rate greater than 100 BPM (Skills pg. 151)

Front 13

Dysrhythmia

Back 13

-abnormality of heart rate or rhythm

-may shorten time available for heart to fill with blood-->decreased stroke volume and cardiac output (Fund. pg. 950)

Front 14

Pulse Deficit

Back 14

condition of the apical pulse rate exceeding the radial pulse rate (Fund. pg. 1350)

Front 15

Ventilation

Back 15

movement of air into and out of lungs (Tabers pg. 2451)

Front 16

Diffusion

Back 16

passive process by which molecules move through a cell membrane from an area of high concentration to lower concentration without expenditure of energy (Fund. pg. 1343)

Front 17

Perfusion

Back 17

circulation of blood through tissues; passing of fluid through spaces (Tabers pg. 1742)

Front 18

Diaphragmatic Breathing

Back 18

a.k.a abdominal breathing

-deliberate use of diaphragm and abdominal muscles (do majority of ventilatory work) to control breathing, strengthen accessory muscles of respiration and provide client who has a chronic disease with a technique to reduce the high functional residual volume associated with air trapping (Fund. pg. 916)

Front 19

Bradypnea

Back 19

slow, regular respirations; rate is below 10 BPM (Skills pg. 275)

Front 20

Tachypnea

Back 20

respiratory rate is increased; above 24 BPM (Skills pg. 275)

Front 21

Orthopnea

Back 21

labored breathing that occurs when lying flat and improves when standing or sitting up (Tabers pg. 1647)

Front 22

Apnea

Back 22

temporary cessation of breathing and therefore of body's intake of O2 and release of CO2 (Tabers pg. 163)

Front 23

Kussmaul Breathing

Back 23

rate and depth are increased; usually associated with diabetic ketoacidosis as a compensatory mechanism to eliminate excess CO2 (Fund. pg. 128)

Front 24

Cheyne-Stokes Breathing

Back 24

alternating periods of apnea, hypoventilation and hyperventilation, usually associated with head injury or heart failure (Fund. pg. 128)

Front 25

Biot's Breathing

Back 25

-breathing marked by several short breaths followed by long, irregular periods of apnea

-seen in patients with increased intracranial pressure (Tabers pg. 267)

Front 26

Blood Pressure

Back 26

-the pressure of blood against inner walls of arteries

-recorded at highest and lowest points of pressure in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg)

-reflects info about person's cardiovascular system (Fund. pg. 129)

Front 27

Peripheral Vascular Resistance

Back 27

-the impediment to blood flow in a vessel created by the diameter of the vessel and the viscosity of the blood (Fund. pg. 1349)

-increased V.R.=increased BP and vice versa

Front 28

Systolic

Back 28

-top # in BP measurement

-provides a database about the condition of the hear and great arteries

-contraction of left ventricle chambers (Tabers pg. 2267, Skills pg. 257)

Front 29

Diastolic

Back 29

-bottom # in BP measurement

-indicates arteriolar and peripheral vascular resistance

-period of cardiac muscle relaxation (Tabers pg. 643, Skills pg. 257)

Front 30

Korotokoff's Sounds

Back 30

5 distinct sounds while measuring BP (Fund. pg. 1346)

Front 31

Point of Maximal Impulse (PMI)

Back 31

point on chest wall where apex of heart is closest and heartbeat can be felt (Fund. pg. 1349)

Front 32

Apical Pulse

Back 32

pulse at apex of heart; on chest

Front 33

Hypertension

Back 33

BP that is considered to be higher than normal range (Skills pg. 251)

Front 34

Hypotension

Back 34

BP that is considered to be lower than normal range (Skills pg. 251)

Front 35

Orthostatic Hypotension

Back 35

hypotension occuring when a person assumes an upright position after getting up from a bed or chair (Tabers pg. 1139)

Front 36

Hypoxia

Back 36

deficient oxygenation of body tissues (Fund. pg. 1345)

Front 37

Cyanosis

Back 37

a state of blue color to the skin that results from the concentration of deoxygenated hemoglobin close to the surface of the skin (Fund. pg. 1342)

Front 38

Oxygen Saturation

Back 38

the percent of saturation of client's arterial blood with oxygen, usually at 95-100%

SaO2 abb. (Fund. pg. 1348)

Front 39

Pulse Oximeter

Back 39

device for measuring the O2 saturation of functional hemoglobin in blood (Fund. pg. 1350)