Term | Definition |
Adventitious sounds | Abnormal breath sounds |
Afebrile | 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; this rises from the upper surface of the left ventricle. |
Apnea | 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 poing 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 |
Diastole | The phase in the cardiac cycle in which the heart relaxes between contractions |
Diastolic pressure | The point of lesser pressure on the arterial wall, which is recorded by diastole |
Dyspnea | Shortness of breath or difficulty in breathing |
Dysrhythmia | An irregular rhythm; also termed arrhythmia |
Eupnea | Normal respiration; the rate is 16-20 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 abnormally high fever |
Hypertension | High blood pressure |
Hyperventilation | An abnormally fast and deep type of breathing, usually associated with acute anxiety conditions |
Hypopnea | An abnormal 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 satuation of the blood; leads 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 the illness |
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 timer interval between heartbeats |
Pulse volume | The strength of the heartbeat |
Radiation | The transfer of energy, such as heat, in the form of waves |
SaO2 | Abbreviation for the percentage of hemoglobin that is saturated with oxygen in arterial blood; stands for saturation of arterial oxygen |
Sphygmomanometer | An instrument for meauring arterial blood pressure |
SpO2 | Abbreviation for the percentage of hemoglobin that is saturated with oxygen in arterial blood as measured by a pulse oximeter; stands for saturation of peripheral oxygen |
Stethoscope | An instrument 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 |