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Vital Signs
Terms to know for Fundamentals and Vital Signs
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Afebrile | absence of fever. |
| Afterload | force against which the heart pumps when ejecting blood. |
| Antipyretics | drugs that reduce fever. |
| Apical-radial rate | number of sounds heard at the apex of the heart and the rate of the radial pulse during the same period |
| Apical heart rate | number of ventricular contractions per minute. |
| Apnea | absence of breathing. |
| Arrhythmia | irregular pattern of heartbeats. |
| Auscultatory gap | period during which sound disappears and then reappears when taking a blood pressure measurement. |
| Automated monitoring devices | equipment that allows the simultaneous collection of multiple vital sign data. |
| Baroreceptors | sensory nerves in the walls of large arteries whose function is to maintain arterial pressure. |
| Blood pressure | force exerted by blood in the arteries. |
| Bradycardia | a pulse rate of less than 60 beats per minute (bpm) in a adult. |
| Bradypnea | slower than normal respiratory rate at rest. |
| Brown adipose tissue | fat cells filled with mitochondria that raise body temp by increasing metabolism. |
| Cardiac output | volume of blood ejected from the left ventricle per minute. |
| Centigrade scale | scale that uses 0 degrees C as the temp at which water freezes and 100 degrees C as the point at which it boils. |
| Cerumen | ear wax. |
| Clinical thermometers | instruments used to measure body temp. |
| Core temperature | warmth at the center of the body. |
| Diastolic pressure | pressure in the arterial system when the heart relaxes and fills with blood. |
| Doppler stethoscope | device that helps detect sounds created by the velocity of blood moving through a blood vessel. |
| Drawdown effect | cooling of the ear when it comes in contact with a thermometer probe. |
| Dyspnea | difficult or labored breathing. |
| Dysrhythmia | irregular pattern of heartbeats. |
| Fahrenheit scale | scale that uses 32 degrees Fahrenheit as the temp at which water freezes and 212 degrees Fahrenheit as the point @ which it boils. |
| Febrile | elevated body temp. |
| Fever | body temp that exceeds 99.3 F (37.4 C) |
| Frenulum | structure that attaches the undersurface of the tongue to the fleshly portion of the mouth. |
| Hyertension | high blood pressure. |
| Hyperthermia | excessively high core temp. |
| Hyperventilation | rapid or deep breathing, or both. |
| Hypotension | low blood pressure. |
| Hypothalamus | temperature regulating structure in the brain. |
| Hypothermia | core body temp less than 95 degrees F (35C) |
| Hypoventilation | diminished breathing. |
| Korotkoff sounds | sounds that result from the vibrations of blood in the arterial wall or changes in blood flow. |
| Metabolic rate | use of calories for sustaining body functions. |
| Offsets | predictive mathematical conversions. |
| Orthopnea | breathing that is facilitated by sitting up or standing. |
| Orthostatic hypotension | sudden but temporary drop in blood pressure when rising from a reclining or seated position. |
| Palpitation | awareness of one's own heart contraction without having to feel the pulse. |
| Piloerection | contraction of arrector pili muscles in skin follicles. |
| Postural hypotension | sudden but temporary drop in blood pressure when rising from a reclining or seated position. |
| Preload | volume of blood that fills the heart and stretches the heart muscle fibers during its resting phase. |
| Pulse | wave like sensation that can be palpated in a peripheral artery. |
| Pulse deficit | difference between the apical and radial pulse rates. |
| Pulse pressure | difference between systolic and diastolic blood pressure measurements. |
| Pulse rate | number of peripheral arterial pulsations palpated in a minute. |
| Pulse rhythm | pattern of the pulsations and pauses between them |
| Pulse volume | quality of the pulsations that are felt. |
| Pyrexia | fever |
| Respiration | exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. |
| Respiratory rate | number of ventilations per minute. |
| Set point | optimal body temp. |
| Shell temperature | warmth at the skin surface. |
| Speculum | metal or plastic instrument for widening the vagina or other body cavity. |
| Sphygmomanometer | device for measuring blood pressure. |
| Stertorous breathing | noisy ventilation |
| Stethoscope | instrument that carries sound to the ears. |
| Stridor | harsh, high-pitched sound heard on inspiration when there is laryngeal obstruction. |
| Systolic pressure | pressure in the arterial system when the heart contracts. |
| Tachycardia | heart rate between 100 and 150 beats per minute (bpm) at rest. |
| Tachypnea | rapid respiratory rate. |
| Temperature translation | conversion of tympanic temp into an oral, rectal, or core temp. |
| Temporal artery thermometer | noninvasive device that scans body temp in the temporal artery at the skin surface. |
| Thermistor catheter | heat sensing device at the tip of an internally placed tube. |
| Thermogenesis | heat production |
| Training effect | heart rate and consequently pulse rate become consistently lower than average with regular exercise. |
| Ventilation | movement of air in and out of lungs; movement of air in the environment. |
| Vital signs | body temp, pulse rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure. |
| White adipose tissue | fat cells that provide heat insulation and cushioning of internal structures. |
| White-coat hypertension | condition in which the blood pressure is elevated when taken by a health care worker but is normal at other times. |
Created by:
Jessica Venyke
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