Term | Definition |
Auscultation | Listening for sounds within the body |
Baseline Vital Signs | The first set of vital signs measurements to which subsequent measurements can be compared |
Blood Pressure | The force exerted by the blood on the interior walls of the blood |
Bradycardia | Heart rate less than 60 beats per minute |
Capillary refill | The amount of time it takes fr the capillaries that have been compressed |
Chief Complaint | The patient complaint that is the primary reason why the EMS crew was called to the scene. |
Clammy | A moist, or a cool and moist, condition; a skin condition often because of shock |
Close Ended Question | A question that requires a yes or no answer |
Conjunctive | the thin covering of the inner eyelid and exposed portion of the sclera of the eye. |
Constricted | Narrow, made small |
Cyanosis | A blue gray color of the mucous membranes and or and or skin which
inadequate oxygen or poor defussion |
Diastolic Blood Pressure | The pressure exerted against the walls of the arteries when the left ventricle is at rest |
Dialated *************sp | expanded, made large red skin |
Jaundice | A condition characterized by yellowness of the skin, scleara of they eyes, mucous membranes, indicates liver failure, disease |
Mottling | skin discoloration similar to cyanosis but occurring in a blotchy pattern; a possible sign of shock |
Open ended question | question that allows the patient to give a detailed response in there own words |
Flashing | Abnormally red skin due to vasodilation |
OPQRST | A mnemonic for remembering the question to ask when assessing the patients chief complaint or major symptoms such a spain, onset provocation-palliation-quality-radiation-severity-Time of complaint |
Orthostatic Vital Signs | An increase in heart of 10-20 bpm and a decrease in systolic blood of 10-26 mmHg when a patient moves |
Pallor | Pale or abnormally white skin color |
Palpation | Feelings, as for a pulse |
Puls Oximeter | Electronic device used to determine the oxygen concentration of the left ventricle |
Pulse oximetry | measurement of blood saturation |
Pulse pressure | The difference between they systolic blood pressure and the diastolic blood pressure |
Pulsus paradoxas | a decrease in pulse strength during inhalation; a drop in blood pressure of more than 10 mmHg during inhalation (increase |
Sample History | A format for taking a patient history. Signs and symptoms, allergies, medications permits |
Signs | any objectives evidence of medical or trauma conditions that can be seen, heard, felt, or smelled in a patient. |
Sphygmomanometer | instrument used to measure blood pressure |
Stridor | a harsh, high-pitched sound hear on inhalation that indicates swelling of the larnyx |
Symptoms | Conditions that must be described by the patient because they cannot be observed by another person |
Systolic Blood Pressure | The p exerted against the walls of the arteries when left ventricle contracts |
Tachycardia | a heart rate greater that 100 beats per minute |
Tilt Test | an increase in heart rate in 10-20 bpm and a decrease systolic blood pressure of 10-20 mmHg when a patient moves from a supine to a upright or standing position |
Vital Signs | The tradition signs of life; assessments related to breathing, pulse, skin, pupils and blood pressure. |