27 ATI - Vital Signs Vocabulary

Question 1

a substance or procedure that reduces fever

Answer 1

antipyretic

Question 2

temporary or transient cessation of breathing

Answer 2

apnea

Question 3

temporary disappearance of sounds usually heard over the brachial artery, occurring when the cuff pressure is high and is gradually reduced, with the sounds again heard at a lower level of pressure (usually occurring in patients who have hypertension)

Answer 3

auscultatory gap

Question 4

pertaining to the axilla, the cavity beneath the junction of a forelimb and the body; also called the armpit or the underarm

Answer 4

axillary

Question 5

beating or throbbing felt over the brachial artery, usually palpated in the antecubital space

Answer 5

brachial pulse

Question 6

an abnormally slow pulse rate, usually fewer than 60 beats per minutes in an adult

Answer 6

bradycardia

Question 7

an abnormally slow respiratory rate, usually fewer than 12 breaths per minutes in an adult

Answer 7

bradypnea

Question 8

the amount of blood pumped into the arteries by the heart during one minute; the product of the heart rate and the stroke volume

Answer 8

cardiac output

Question 9

relating to the international thermometric scale on which 0° is the freezing point and 100° is the boiling point; centigrade

Answer 9

celsius

Question 10

relating to the international thermometric scale on which 0° is the freezing point and 100° is the boiling point; Celsius

Answer 10

centigrade

Question 11

the amount of heat in the deep tissues and structures of the body, such as the liver

Answer 11

core temperatures

Question 12

the force exerted when the heart is at rest in between each beat; the lowest pressure exerted against the arterial walls at all times

Answer 12

diastolic pressure

Question 13

the sensation of difficult or labored breathing

Answer 13

dyspnea

Question 14

normal respiration

Answer 14

eupnea

Question 15

relating to the temperature scale on which 32° is the freezing point and 212° is the boiling point

Answer 15

fahrenheit

Question 16

feverish; pertaining to a fever

Answer 16

febrile

Question 17

an elevated body temperature

Answer 17

fever

Question 18

a common cardiovascular disorder, often with no symptoms, in which the blood exerts an abnormal amount of force on the inside walls of the arteries persistently and blood pressure readings are persistently above 120/80 mmHg

Answer 18

hypertension

Question 19

a condition in which blood pressure falls below the normal range; not usually considered a problem unless it causes symptoms, such as dizziness or fainting

Answer 19

hypotension

Question 20

a series of five sounds (four sounds followed by an absence of sound) heard during the auscultatory determination of blood pressure and produced by sudden distention of the artery because of the proximally placed pneumatic cuff

Answer 20

Korotkoff sounds

Question 21

ability to breathe without difficulty only when in an upright position (sitting upright or standing)

Answer 21

orthopnea

Question 22

a sudden drop in blood pressure resulting from a change in position, usually when standing up from a sitting or reclining position and often causing dizziness

Answer 22

orthostatic hypotension

Question 23

determination of the oxygen saturation of arterial blood using a photoelectric device called an oximeter

Answer 23

oximetry

Question 24

a clinical measurement of the percentage of hemoglobin that is bound with oxygen in the blood

Answer 24

oxygen saturation

Question 25

the application of the fingers with light pressure to the surface of the body to determine the condition of the underlying parts

Answer 25

palpation

Question 26

the difference between the apical and the radial pulse rates. This condition may indicate a lack of peripheral perfusion for some of the heart contractions.

Answer 26

pulse deficit

Question 27

the difference between the systolic and the diastolic blood pressures

Answer 27

pulse pressure

Question 28

beating or throbbing felt over the radial artery, usually palpated over the groove along the thumb side of the inner wrist

Answer 28

radial pulse

Question 29

S1

Answer 29

the first heart sound, heard when the atrioventricular (mitral and tricuspid) valves close

Question 30

S2

Answer 30

the second heart sound, heard when the semilunar (aortic and pulmonic) valves close

Question 31

a side-lying position with the lowermost arm behind the body and the uppermost leg flexed

Answer 31

Sim’s position

Question 32

a device used to convey sounds produced in the body to the listener’s ears

Answer 32

stethoscope

Question 33

the amount of blood entering the aorta with each ventricular contraction

Answer 33

Stroke volume

Question 34

the amount of force exerted within the arteries while the heart is actively pumping or contracting; the maximum pressure exerted against the arterial walls

Answer 34

systolic pressure

Question 35

an abnormally fast pulse rate, usually above 100 beats per minutes in an adult

Answer 35

tachycardia

Question 36

an abnormally fast respiratory rate, usually more than 20 breaths per minutes in an adult

Answer 36

tachypnea

Question 37

pertaining to the ear canal or eardrum (tympanic membrane)

Answer 37

tympanic

Question 38

measurements of physiological functioning, specifically temperature, pulse, respirations, and blood pressure, but may also include pain and pulse oximetry

Answer 38

vital signs