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Bonewit Chapt 4
Vital Signs (Kali Dansingburg)
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Adventitious sounds | Abnormal breath sounds. |
Aferile | Without fever; the body temperature is normal. |
Alveolus | A thin-walled air sac of the lungs in which the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide takes place. |
Antecubital space | The space located at the front of the elbow. |
Antipyretic | An agent that reduces fever. |
Aorta | The major trunk of the arterial system of the body. The aorta arises from the upper surface of the left ventricle. |
Apena | The temporary cessation of breathing. |
Axilla | The armpit. |
Bounding pulse | A pulse with an increased volume that feels very strong and full. |
Bradycardia | An abnormally slow heart rate (less than 60 beats per minute). |
Bradypnea | An abnormal decrease in the respiratory rate of less than 10 respirations per minute. |
Celsius scale | A temperature scale on which the freezing point of water is 0 degrees and the boiling point of water is 100 degrees; also called the centigrade scale. |
Conduction | The transfer of energy, such as heat, from one object to another by direct contact. |
Convection | The transfer of energy, such as heat, through air currents. |
Crisis | A sudden falling of an elevated body temperature to normal. |
Cyanosis | A bluish discoloration of the skin and mucous membranes. |
Disatole | The phase in the cardiac cycle in which the heart relaxes between contractions. |
Disatolic pressure | The point of lesser pressure on the arterial wall, which is recorded during disatole. |
Dyspnea | Shortness of breath or difficulty in breathing. |
Dysrhythmia | An irregular rythm; also termed arrhythmia. |
Eupnea | Normal respiration. The rate is 16 to 20 respirations per minute, the rhythm is even and regular, and the depth is normal. |
Exhalation | The act of breathing out. |
Fahrenheit scale | A temperature scale on which the freezing point of water is 32 degrees and the boiling point of water is 212 degrees. |
Febrile | Pertaining to fever. |
Fever | A body temperature that is above normal; synonym for pyrexia. |
Frenulum linguae | The midline fold that connects the undersurface of the tongue with the floor of the mouth. |
Hyperpnea | An abnormal increase in the rate and depth of respiration. |
Hyperpyrexia | An extremely high fever. |
Hypertension | High blood pressure. |
Hyperventilation | An abnormally fast and deep type of breathing, usually associated with acute anxiety conditions. |
Hypopnea | An abnormally decrease in the rate and depth of respiration. |
Hypotension | Low blood pressure. |
Hypothermia | A body temperature that is below normal. |
Hypoxemia | A decrease in the oxygen saturation of the blood. Hypoxemia may lead to hypoxia. |
Hypoxia | A reduction in the oxygen supply to the tissues of the body. |
Inhalation | The act of breathing in. |
Intercostal | Between the ribs. |
Korotkoff sounds | Sounds heard during the measurement of blood pressure that are used to determine the systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings. |
Malaise | A vague sense of body discomfort, weakness, and fatigue, that often marks the onset of a disease and continues through the course of daily activities. |
Manometer | An instrument for measuring pressure. |
Meniscus | The curved surface on a column of liquid in a tube. |
Orthopnea | The condition in which breathing is easier when an individual is in a sitting or standing position. |
Pulse oximeter | A computerized device consisting of a probe and monitor used to measure the oxygen saturation of arterial blood. |
Pulse oximetry | The use of a pulse oximeter to measure the oxygen saturation of arterial blood. |
Pulse pressure | The difference between the systolic and diastolic pressures. |
Pulse rhythm | The time interval between heartbeats. |
Pulse volume | The strength of the heartbeat. |
Radiation | The transfer of energy, such as heat, in the form of waves. |
SAO^2 | Abbreviation for the percentage of hemoglobin that is saturated with oxygen in arterial blood. |
Sphygmomanometer | An instrument for measuring arterial blood pressure. |
SpO^2 | Abbreviation for the percentage of hemoglobin that is saturated with oxygen in arterial blood as measured by a pulse oximeter. |
Stethoscope | A instrument used for amplifying and hearing sounds produced by the body. |
Systole | The phase in the cardiac cycle in which the ventricles contract, sending blood out of the heart and into the aorta and pulmonary aorta. |
Systolic pressure | The point of maximum pressure on the arterial walls, which is recorded during systole. |
Tachycardia | An abnormally fast heart rate (more than 100 beats per minute). |
Tachypnea | An abnormal increase in the respiratory rate of more than 20 respirations per minute. |
Thready pulse | A pulse with a decreased volume that feels weak and thin. |