Ch.11 Flashcards
Auscultation
Listening for systolic and diastolic sounds through a stethoscope
Baseline vital signs
Signs of life outward signs that give clues to what’s happening inside the body.
Blood pressure
Pressure that is exerted on the walls of the arteries by the blood flowing through them
Bradycardia
Heart rate less than 60 bpm
Capillary refill
The time it takes for compressed capillaries to fill up again with blood
Chief complaint
Reason why the EMS crew was called to the scene
Clammy
Skin that is both cool and moist
Close-ended questions
Often rapid fire type questions that requires a yes or no answer
Conjunctiva
Mucous membranes that line the eyelid
Constricted
Small may indicate a central nervous system disorder use of narcotics glaucoma medications or bright lit environment
Cyanosis
Indicates inadequate oxygenation or poor perfusion. Gray color
Diastolic blood pressure
Bottom number which is the amount of pressure on the artery walls while the ventricle is at rest and not contracting
Dilated
Large may indicate the use of certain drugs including lsd amphetamines atropine and cocaine
Flushing
May be a sign of heat exposure peripheral vasodilation or very late finding in carbon monoxide poisoning
Jaundice
May indicate liver disease
Mottling
Discoloration similar to cyanosis however it occurs as a blotchy pattern
Open-ended question
Requires the patient to respond with a descriptive or more detailed answer
OPQRST
A mnemonic for remembering the questions to ask when assessing the patients chief complaint or major symptoms such as pain that the patient can tell you about
Orthostatic vital signs
Done by placing the patient in a supine position and measuring the blood pressure and heart rate
Pallor
This my be a sign of extreme vasoconstriction blood loss or both
Palpation
Feeling for the return of the pulse as the cuff is deflated
Pulse oximeter
The device used to measure the level of hemoglobin saturated with oxygen
Pulse oximetry
Method of measuring oxygen saturation levels in the blood
Pulse pressure
Difference between the systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure is called
Pulsus paradoxus
Decrease in the strength of the pulse during the inspiratory phase of the patient
Sample history
Medical history of the patient that you gather by asking questions of the patient family and bystanders
Signs
Are any objective physical evidence of medical or trauma conditions that you can see hear or feel or smell
Sphygmomanometer
Blood pressure cuff
Stridor
Harsh high pitched sound
Symptoms
Are conditions that cannot be observed and must be described by the patient
Systolic blood pressure
Top number of blood pressure which is the amount of pressure exerted on the walls of the arteries during the contraction and ejection of blood from the left ventricle
Tachycardia
Adult patient heart rate greater then 100 bpm is termed
Tilt test
Orthostatic vital signs test
Vital signs
Signs of life outward signs that give clues to what is happening inside the body
