Chapter 15 (Vital Signs) Vocab

Question 1

Afebrile

Answer 1

free from fever

Question 2

Antipyretic

Answer 2

medication that reduces fever

Question 3

Apical Pulse

Answer 3

a pulse site on the left side of the chest over the pointed end, or apex, of the heart

Question 4

Apnea

Answer 4

the lack of respiratory movements

Question 5

Core Temperature

Answer 5

temperature of deep tissues

Question 6

Disphoresis

Answer 6

excessive sweating

Question 7

Bradypnea

Answer 7

respiratory rate less than 12 per minute or lower than acceptable limits

Question 8

Capillary Oxygen Saturation

Answer 8

SpO2 - the estimate of the amount of oxygen in the blood

Question 9

Febrile

Answer 9

marked or caused by fever : feverish

Question 10

Fever

Answer 10

raised body temperature

Question 11

Heat Stroke

Answer 11

dangerous emergency defined as a body temp 40.2 C or 104.4 F or more

Question 12

Hypertension

Answer 12

an often asymptomatic disorder characterized by persistently elevated blood pressure

SBP is greater than 140 mm HG and DBP greater than 90 mmHG

Question 13

Dysrhythmia

Answer 13

an abnormal rhythm of the heart; where a regular interval is interrupted by an early beat, late beat, or missed beat; can be regularly irregular or irregularly irregular

Question 14

ETCO2 Monitoring

Answer 14

a monitor that attaches directly to the ventilator system and measures the exhaled carbon dioxide through sensors

Question 15

Eupnea

Answer 15

the normal rate and depth of ventilation

Question 16

Infrared Thermometer

Answer 16

relies on thermal radiation to measure body temp

EX: tympanic membrane thermometer

Question 17

Korotkoff Sound

Answer 17

arterial sounds heard through a stethoscope applied to the brachial artery distal to the cuff of a sphygmomanometer that change with varying cuff pressure and that are used to determine systolic and diastolic blood pressure

Question 18

Orthostatic Hypertension

Answer 18

a reduction of SBP of at least 20 mm HG or a reduction of DBP of at least 10 mmHG within 3 minutes of quiet standing

Question 19

Pulse Deficit

Answer 19

An inefficient contraction of the heart that fails to transmit a pulse wave to the peripheral pulse site

Question 20

Pulse Pressure

Answer 20

the difference between the SBP and DBP

Question 21

Pyrexia

Answer 21

raised body temperature; fever

Question 22

Sphygmomanometer

Answer 22

a device used to measure blood pressure, composed of an inflatable cuff to collapse and then release the artery under the cuff in a controlled manner, and a mercury or aneroid manometer to measure the pressure

Question 23

Systolic Pressure

Answer 23

the pressure of the blood in the arteries when the heart pumps; the peak pressure

Question 24

Tachycardia

Answer 24

abnormally elevated heart rate more than 100 BPM

Question 25

Nonshivering Thermogenesis

Answer 25

defined as an increase in metabolic heat production that is not associated with muscle activity. It occurs mainly through metabolism in brown fat. Typically in babies.

Question 26

Ventilation

Answer 26

the mechanical movement of gases into and out of the lungs

Question 27

Oxygen Saturation

Answer 27

the fraction of oxygen-saturated hemoglobin relative to total hemoglobin in the blood

Question 28

Perfusion

Answer 28

the distribution of red blood cells to and from the pulmonary capillaries

Question 29

Tachypnea

Answer 29

respiratory rate or more than 20 per minute or greater than acceptable limits