Ch 2 Vocab Flashcards
Basic Patient Care Skills Vocab
Vital Signs
Important information about a patient’s cardiovascular system, especially the function of the heart
Baseline
Health settings before patients are seen by a doctor
Objective information
Signs
Subjective information
Symptoms
Microorganism
A living thing that is so small it is only visible under a microscope
Pathogens
Harmful organisms that invade the body and multiply
Infection prevention
Or infection control, the set of practices used to prevent the spread of harmful microorganisms and control the spread of disease
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) sets standards to protect workers, provides safety education, inspects worksites, investigates workplace accidents and set lines for safety violations
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) conducts research, promotes public health, investigates disease outbreaks, and makes recommendations for infection prevention and control
Standard Precautions
Treat all blood, body fluids, non-intact skin, mucous membranes as if they were infected
Hand Hygiene
Hand washing, frequent hand washing
PPE
Personal Protective Equipment, gloves along with gowns, masks, goggles, and face shields.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus
(MRSA) A disease that spreads by contact, like pink eye
Pulse
Beat that is felt at different points in the body called pulse points
Palpitation
Feeling with the finger
Auscultation
Listening with a stethoscope
Radial Pulse
Inside the wrist
Carotid Pulse
Side of the neck
Brachial Pulse
The inside of the upper arm above the elbow
Apex
Tip
Apical Pulse
The Apex/tip of the heart lies under here
Respiration
The process of inhaling air into and exhaling air out of the lungs
Apnea
Absence of breathing
Dyspnea
Difficulty breathing
Orthopnea
Difficulty breathing when lying down, and relieve maybe by sitting up
Tachypnea
Rapid breathing
Cheyne - Stokes
Alternating period of slow, irregular breathing and rapid, shallow breathing, a long with short periods of apnea
Blood pressure
Or BP, Indicator of how heart is working (check regularly)
Hypertension
High BP
Systolic
reading that measures the pressure of the pressure of artery walls when ventricles contracting and pushing blood from heart
Diastolic
Reading that measures pressure in the arteries when heart is at rest
Aneroid Sphygmomanometer
Device used to electronically measure BP, with help of Stethoscope
Tachycardia
Rapid heart beat
Pulse oximeter
Used to measure oxygen saturation
Oxygen saturation
Amount of oxygen in blood
Hypoxia
PT’s blood oxygen dramatically decreased
Supine Position
Lying flat on back
Fowler’s Position
PT’s head is elevated 45-60 degrees
What should an EKG technician do before providing any care, including measuring vital signs?
Wear name tag showing job title/name, inform/introduce oneself before beginning any procedure
Healthcare-associated infection
An infection acquired in a healthcare setting during the delivery of medical care
Infection
When pathogens invade and multiply within the body
The most important way for healthcare workers to stop the spread of infection
hand washing with regular soap and water
List the precautions
Airborne precaution, Contact precaution, and Droplet precaution
5 sites for measuring body temperature
Oral, Axillary, Tympanic, Temporal, and Rectal
5 situations in which an oral temperature may be inaccurate
When the person has recently smoked, ate, chewed gum, drank, or exercised in the last 10 - 20 minutes
Normal temperature range for Oral Method
97.6F – 99.6F
Can pain affect vital signs
Yes
Can cultural beliefs and personality affect a person’s reporting of pain
Yes
Is level of consciousness a vital sign
No
Normal pulse oximetry reading for adult and pediatric patients is
95-100%
When a child gets older
Heart Rate decreases and Blood pressure increases