Vital signs
Various determinations that provide information about the basic body of the patient.
Temperature
Measurement of the balance between heat lost and heat produced by the body.
Pulse
The pressure of the blood felt against the wall of an artery as the heart contracts and relaxes.
Rate
Number of beats per minute.
Rhythm
Referring to regularity.
Volume
Referring to strength.
Respirations
Breathing rate of the patient.
Blood pressure
Force exerted by the blood against the arterial walls when the heart contracts or relaxes.
Apical pulse
Pulse taken with a stethoscope at the apex of the heart. Actual heart beat is heard and counted.
Homeostasis
State of balance in the body.
Oral temperature
Temperatures taken in the mouth.
Rectal temperatures
Temperatures taken in the rectum.
Axillary temperatures
Temperatures taken underneath the arm (arm pit)
Aural temperatures
Temperature taken with a specific tympanic thermometer that is put in the ear.
Temporal temperatures
Temperature taken by scanning across the forehead.
Hypothermia
Low body temperature below 95 degrees F (35 degrees C)
Fever
Elevated body temperature.
Hyperthermia
Body temperature that exceeds 104 degrees F (40 degrees C)
Clinical thermometers
Thermometers used to take temperatures consists of a slender glass tube containing mercury or alcohol with red dye.
Electronic thermometers
Type of thermometer registers the temperature on a viewer in a few seconds.
Tympanic thermometers
Specialized electronic thermometers that record aural temperature in the ear.
Temporal thermometer
Specialized electronic thermometer that measure the temperature in the temporal artery of the forehead.
Bradycardia
A pulse rate under 60 beats per minute.
Tachycardia
A pulse rate over 100 beats per minute.
Arrhythmia
Irregular rhythm, usually caused by a defect in the electrical conduction pattern of the heart.
Respiration
Process of taking in oxygen and expelling carbon dixode from the lungs and respiratory tract.
Character
Depth and quality of respirations.
Dyspnea
Difficult or labored breathing.
Apnea
Absence of respirators.
Bradypnea
Slow respiratory rate, usually below 10 respirations per minute.
Orthopnea
Severe dyspnea in which breathing is very difficult in any positioning other than sitting or standing.
Cheyne-Stokes
Abnormal breathing characterized by periods of dyspnea followed by periods of apnea.
Rates
Bubbling or noisy sounds caused by fluid or mucus in air pressure.
Wheezing
Difficult breathing with a high pitched whistling or sighing sound during expiration.
Cyanosis
A dusky, bluish discoloration of skin, and/or nail beds.
Stethoscope
An instrument used to listen to internal sounds of the body.
Pulse deficit
A condition that occurs with some hearts conditions.
Systolic pressure
Measurement of blood pressure taken when the heart is contracting and forcing blood into arteries.
Diastolic pressure
The constant pressure in the walls of the arteries when the left ventricle of the heart is at rest.
Hypertension
High blood pressure.
Hypotension
Low blood pressure.
Sphygmomanometer
An instrument used to measure blood pressure in millimeter of mercury (mm Hg)
Vital signs
Various determinations that provide information about the basic body of the patient.
Temperature
Measurement of the balance between heat lost and heat produced by the body.
Pulse
The pressure of the blood felt against the wall of an artery as the heart contracts and relaxes.
Rate
Number of beats per minute.
Rhythm
Referring to regularity.
Volume
Referring to strength.
Respirations
Breathing rate of the patient.
Blood pressure
Force exerted by the blood against the arterial walls when the heart contracts or relaxes.
Apical pulse
Pulse taken with a stethoscope at the apex of the heart. Actual heart beat is heard and counted.
Homeostasis
State of balance in the body.
Oral temperature
Temperatures taken in the mouth.
Rectal temperatures
Temperatures taken in the rectum.
Axillary temperatures
Temperatures taken underneath the arm (arm pit)
Aural temperatures
Temperature taken with a specific tympanic thermometer that is put in the ear.
Temporal temperatures
Temperature taken by scanning across the forehead.
Hypothermia
Low body temperature below 95 degrees F (35 degrees C)
Fever
Elevated body temperature.
Hyperthermia
Body temperature that exceeds 104 degrees F (40 degrees C)
Clinical thermometers
Thermometers used to take temperatures consists of a slender glass tube containing mercury or alcohol with red dye.
Electronic thermometers
Type of thermometer registers the temperature on a viewer in a few seconds.
Tympanic thermometers
Specialized electronic thermometers that record aural temperature in the ear.
Temporal thermometer
Specialized electronic thermometer that measure the temperature in the temporal artery of the forehead.
Bradycardia
A pulse rate under 60 beats per minute.
Tachycardia
A pulse rate over 100 beats per minute.
Arrhythmia
Irregular rhythm, usually caused by a defect in the electrical conduction pattern of the heart.
Respiration
Process of taking in oxygen and expelling carbon dixode from the lungs and respiratory tract.
Character
Depth and quality of respirations.
Dyspnea
Difficult or labored breathing.
Apnea
Absence of respirators.
Bradypnea
Slow respiratory rate, usually below 10 respirations per minute.
Orthopnea
Severe dyspnea in which breathing is very difficult in any positioning other than sitting or standing.
Cheyne-Stokes
Abnormal breathing characterized by periods of dyspnea followed by periods of apnea.
Rates
Bubbling or noisy sounds caused by fluid or mucus in air pressure.
Wheezing
Difficult breathing with a high pitched whistling or sighing sound during expiration.
Cyanosis
A dusky, bluish discoloration of skin, and/or nail beds.
Stethoscope
An instrument used to listen to internal sounds of the body.
Pulse deficit
A condition that occurs with some hearts conditions.
Systolic pressure
Measurement of blood pressure taken when the heart is contracting and forcing blood into arteries.
Diastolic pressure
The constant pressure in the walls of the arteries when the left ventricle of the heart is at rest.
Hypertension
High blood pressure.
Hypotension
Low blood pressure.
Sphygmomanometer
An instrument used to measure blood pressure in millimeter of mercury (mm Hg)