MA Chapter 33 Vocabulary Flashcards
Apex
Top of the heart
Aneroid
The gauge on a blood pressure cuff.
Arrhythmia
Abnormal heart rate, rhythm and conduction.
Aural
Relate to, or received by the ear.
Auscultatory Gap
A period in which sound is not heard.
The disappearance of sounds between phases 1&2 of korokoff sounds
Axillary
Armpit
Baseline
Measurement of vital signs that serves as a basis against which all subsequent vital signs are compared.
Bradypnea
Slow breathing.
Cheyne-Stokes Respirations
Apnea»_space;>gradually increasing depth and rate»>gradually decreasing depth and rate»>apnea.
Pattern seen in pts near death and with head injury.
Diurnal
Active during the day.
Temp. lowest in the morning
Dyspnea
Difficult breathing.
Hyperpnea
Abnormally fast breathing
Hyperthermia
Increased body temperature.
Hyperventilation
Sudden quick and deep breathing, characterized by the loss of too much CO2, which leads to lightheadedness, then anxiety. Have pt breath in paper bag to increase CO2 level.
Hypopnea
Abnormally slow breathing.
Hypothermia
Abnormally low body temperature. Core temperature below 95 degrees F. Shivering, blue skin, mental confusion, numbness, slurred speech.
Orthopnea
Person can breathe only standing up. Difficultly breathing while lying down.
Oral
By mouth
Orthostatic hypotension
Sudden decrease in blood pressure when you stand up.
Palpate
Feel
Pyrexia
High fever. 103 - 105 degrees.
Hyperpyrexia
Extremely high temperature. Over 105 degrees.
Can cause convulsions, brain damage, or death
Sponge with tepid water
Do not immerse in ice
Rectal
Pertains to the rectum.
Remittent Fever
A fever whose symptoms abate at regular intervals but still remains above normal
Sphygmomanometer
Instrument used to measure blood pressure.
Stethoscope
Instrument used to listen to breath and heart sounds
Tachycardia
Rapid heart rate
Tachypnea
Rapid breathing
Tympanic
Area of the eardrums.
Anthropometric Measurement
Measures the size of a patient.
Core Temperature
98.6 - 99.4 degrees F
36 - 37.4 degrees C
Regulated by the Hypothalamus (just above the brain stem)
Metabolism is a chemical process that produces heat. I.e. digestion,respiration,ovulation,etc
Fever/Low Grade Fever
Hypothalamus responds to disease and increases core temp. This increases the body’s ability to fight off the disease.
Shivering produces heat and constricted blood vessels help to maintain the temp.
Temps greater than 101 degrees F are usually treated.
Low grade 99 - 101, moderate 101.1 - 103
Continuous Fever
Stays about the same all the time and returns when the medication wears off.
Intermittent Fever
Spikes and returns to normal in a regular pattern
Remittent Fever
Rises and falls but always above normal.
Relapsing Fever
Goes away and returns.
Glass (mercury/non-mercury) Thermometers
The alloy in the bulb expands with the heat and rises up the glass tube which is marked with a scale. Shake down to reset.
Pear shape-Oral use blue wrapper.
Round shape -Rectal use red wrapper.
Hold at eye level and rotate slowly to read.
Electronic Thermometer
Disposable cover fits over tip.
Pace in charger when not in use.
Oral probe is blue.
Rectal probe is red.
Tympanic Thermometer
Disposable ear tip cover.
Infrared signal bounces off eardrum.
Straighten ear.– adults pull slightly up and back.
– children slightly back.
Disposable Forehead Thermometers
Less accurate
Pulse
Heartbeats that are throbbing in places, in the body, where the arteries are compressed against bone.
What can increase your pulse?
Stress Emotions Physical Activity Fever Pain Infection Later in the day Women have a faster pulse than men.
What can decrease your pulse?
Depression
Chronic illness
Dehydration
Hemorrhage
Things that can either increase or decrease your pulse.
Medications
Heat and circulatory disease
Characteristics of a pulse. (3)
- Rate - # of beats per minute.
- Rhythm - time between pulsations (are the evenly spread)
- Volume - Strength. Strong is called bounding.
Weak may be called thready.
Arteries that can be used to check pulses.
Temporal Carotid Apical Brachial Radial Ulnar
What are normal rates for a pulse?
Adult 60 - 100
7 - 12 60 - 100
1 - 7. 80 - 120
Infants. 110 - 170
How do you check a pulse?
If it is regular - count for 30 seconds and multiply by 2.
If irregular - count for full 60 seconds.
If weak - do an apical pulse with a stethoscope over apex of heart, count for 60 seconds.
Bradycardia
Slow heart rate, less than 60 bpm
Tachycardia
Rapid heart rate - greater than 100 bpm.
How do Respirations occur?
When CO2 levels increase the medulla oblongata (in the center of brain stem) responds.
COPD - Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Breathing is in response to decreased O2 levels.
DO NOT increase oxygen
Factors that increase Respiratory rate
Fever
Exercise
Excitement
Stimulant
Factors that decrease Respiratory rate
Sleep
Head injuries
Narcotics
Characteristics of Rspirations
Rate - per minute (if no symptoms can count for 30 sec. X 2)
Rhythm - how even, regular intervals and depth.
Depth - amount in and out i.e. shallow
What is Blood Pressure?
Pressure against the walls of Arteries which carry blood throughout the body.
2 numbers in mmHg. What are they?
Systole - when the heart ventricles contract.
Diastole - between heartbeats (shows arteries resistance to blood flow)
5 Physiologic Factors for Control of Blood Pressure
- Blood volume - kidneys regulate volume. > the vol. the ^ the BP.
- Peripheral Resistance - constriction of arteriolar. > constr. ^ BP
- Elasticity of artery walls.
- Heart’s pumping actions.
- Blood viscosity - thickness of blood.
Factors increasing Blood Pressure
Exercise Stress Anxiety Increased weight Smoking Pain
Factors that Decrease Blood Pressure
Hemorrhage
Depression
Dehydration
Relaxation
Medications that decrease Blood Pressure
Beta-Blockers - decrease heart rate & BP response of beta receptors in heart, arteries and vessels.
ARB inhibitors
Diuretics - water absorption from the kidneys
Vasodilators - relax arteries
Calcium Channel Blockers - systemic vasodilation
How to take Blood Pressure measurement
Listen over brachial artery with stethoscope while decreasing slowly. Systolic - the first beat you hear is the blood flow against resistance until Diastolic - there is no longer any resistance.
Korokoff Sounds - 5 Phases
- Tapping - Systolic
- Soft swishing
- Distinctive Tapping
- Fainter
- No sound - Diastolic
Pulse Pressure
Systolic - Diastolic = Pulse Pressure
Average 30 - 50 mm Hg
Average Blood Pressure by Ages Infant - 3 3 - 6 6 - 13 13 - 19 Adult
Infant - 3 90/50 3 - 6. 94/56 6 - 13. 110/70 13 - 19. 120/80 Adult. 120/80
Selecting BP Cuff
Width of the cuff should be 2/3 the size of the patient’s arm.
Under what circumstances should you not use a patient’s arm?
- if a pt has had a mastectomy on that side.
- if a pt has a shunt for dialysis
Documentation of BP
Note position of pt if not sitting.
Note which arm
Record in chart as soon as they are taken.