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Nursing Vocab
Vital signs
| Apical Pulse | the pulse on the left side of the chest below the nipple |
| Apnea | the absence of breathing |
| BPM | The medical abbreviation for beats per minute |
| Brachial Pulse | the pulse inside the elbow about 1 to 1 and a half inches above the elbow |
| Bradycardia | a slow heart rate |
| Cheyne Stokes Respirations | type of respiration with periods of apnea lasting at least 10 seconds along with alternating periods of slow, irregular respirations and rapid, shallow respirations |
| Diastolic | second measurement of blood pressure; phase when the heart relaxes |
| Dialate | to widen |
| Dyspnea | difficulty breathing |
| eupnea | normal respirations |
| expiration | the process of exhaling air out of the lungs |
| hypertension | high blood pressure measuring 140/90 or higher |
| hypotension | low blood pressure measuring 100/60 or lower |
| hypothermia | a condition in which body temperature drops below the level required for normal functioning |
| inspiration | the process of inhaling air into the lungs |
| orthopnea | shortness of breath when lying down that is relived by sitting up |
| Orthostatic Hypotension | A sudden drop in blood pressure that occurs when a person stands or sits up; also called postural hypotension |
| Prehypertension | A condition in which a person has a systolic measurement of 120-139 mm Hg and a distolic measurement of 80-89 mm Hg: indicator that the person is likely to have high blood pressure in the future, even though he or she does not have it now |
| Radical pulse | the pulse on the inside of the wrist, where the radical artery runs just beneath the skin |
| Respiration | the process of inhaling air into the lungs and the process of exhaling air out the lungs |
| Sphygmomanometer | a device that measures blood pressure |
| stethoscope | an instrument used to hear sounds in the human body, such as the heartbeat or pulse,breathing sounds, or bowel sounds |
| systolic | first measurement of blood pressure; phase when the heart is at work, contracting and pushing blood out of the left ventricle |
| tachycardia | a fast heartbeat--over 100 beats per minute. |
| tachypnea | rapid respiration-- over 20 breaths per minute |
| thermometer | a device used for measuring the degree of heat or cold. |