Vital Signs

Question 1

Mercury thermometers are used how?

Answer 1

rectally and orally

Question 2

Digital thermometers are used how?

Answer 2

rectally, orally, and aurally

Question 3

Paper thermometers can be used how?

Answer 3

on kids’ foreheads (the Tempa-DOT)

Question 4

Temperatures is a mechanism for measuring what?

Answer 4

Heat loss and generation

Question 5

Where will the highest temperature reading be on someone?

Answer 5

at their core

Question 6

Where will the lowest temperature reading be on someone?

Answer 6

on their skin

Question 7

At what time of day will the temperature be the highest?

Answer 7

8-11pm

Question 8

At what time of day will someone’s temperature be the lowest?

Answer 8

4-6am

Question 9

What characterizes an intermittent fever?

Answer 9

Episodes of fever separated by days of normal temp

Question 10

What characterizes a continued fever?

Answer 10

daily recurring fever that varies ~ 1-1.5 degrees throughout the day

Question 11

What characterizes a remittent fever?

Answer 11

daily recurring fever that varies > 2 degrees, and none of the variations can be within normal temp

Question 12

What characterizes a Quotidian fever?

Answer 12

fever that recurs daily

Question 13

What temp characterizes a low-grade fever?

Answer 13

37.7 C

100 F

Question 14

What temp characterizes a high grade fever?

Answer 14

38.8 C

102 F

Question 15

What kinds of things do you evaluate in respiratory rate?

Answer 15

rate, rhythm, depth, effort

Question 16

What is the normal resting rate for an adult?

Answer 16

14-18 / min

Question 17

What is eupnea?

Answer 17

normal respiration

Question 18

What is tachycardia?

Answer 18

fast respiration

Question 19

What is bradypnea?

Answer 19

Slow respiration

Question 20

What is apnea?

Answer 20

No respiration

Question 21

What breathing pattern characterizes hyperventilation?

Answer 21

deep respirations

Question 22

What breathing pattern characterizes Kussmaul’s?

Answer 22

Fast and deep respirations with no pauses

Happens in DKA

Question 23

What breathing pattern characterizes Cheyne-Stokes?

Answer 23

Cyclic pattern of apnea and varied breathing

Question 24

What breathing pattern characterizes Biot’s?

Answer 24

Fast and deep respiration with periods of apnea

Question 25

What breathing pattern characterizes apneustic?

Answer 25

Long, gasping inspirations and ineffective expirations

Question 26

How do you measure the rate of a pulse?

Answer 26

Use radial pulse, count for 30 sec and multiply by 2

Question 27

How do you measure pulse if it is irregular?

Answer 27

Count the rate for a full minute

Question 28

What could cause tachycardia?

Answer 28

Hemorrhage, fever, anemia, hyperthyroidism, CHF, cardiac dysrhythmias

Question 29

What could cause bradycardia?

Answer 29

Cushing's reflex (due to increased ICP), obstructive jaundice, syncope, complete heart blocks Highly conditioned athletes

Question 30

What patterns can you find in the heart's rhythm?

Answer 30

regular, regularly irregular, irregularly irregular

Question 31

How would you describe the pulse's amplitude?

Answer 31

Bounding or weak | force of the pulse against your fingers

Question 32

How would you characterize a pulse's contour?

Answer 32

v or w waves | The shape of a pulse's wave

Question 33

What could cause a volume change in the pulse?

Answer 33

inequality of contralateral pulses (due to aneurysm, partial obstruction like the coarctation of the aorta) weak but equal pulses (due to hypovolemia, which causes weak and thready pulses)

Question 34

What is pulsus alternans?

Answer 34

Weak beats alternating with strong beats Regular rhythm Due to LV failure

Question 35

What is pulsus bigeminus?

Answer 35

2 beats occurring in rapid succession followed by a pause or premature beat with smaller amplitude than the normal sinus contraction Due to cardiac arrhythmias (premature ventricular contractions)

Question 36

What is pulsus paradoxus?

Answer 36

Pulse amplitude that decreases with inspiration and increases with expiration Due to conditions that impede LV outflow during inspiration (cardiac tamponade, constrictive pericarditis, end stage HF and severe COPD)

Question 37

What is pulsus tardus?

Answer 37

Slow pulse rate, gradual upstroke and prolonged, blunted downstroke Due to severe aortic stenosis

Question 38

Through which arteries can you feel a pulse?

Answer 38

temporal, carotid, brachial, radial, ulnar, abdominal, femoral, popliteal, posterior tibial, dorsalis pedis

Question 39

What is the gold standard for monitoring BP?

Answer 39

ambulatory bp

Question 40

Definition of HTN

Answer 40

Office manual or automated average of 2 readings is > or = 140/90 Home bp > 135/85 Ambulatory: 24 hr > = 130/80; daytime ave > = 135/85; nighttime ave > 120/70

Question 41

What BMI is underweight?

Answer 41

< 17

Question 42

What BMI is overweight?

Answer 42

> 25

Question 43

What BMI is obese?

Answer 43

> 30

Question 44

What situations would indicate an O2 stat?

Answer 44

SOB, asthma, CHF, any hypoxia concerns

Question 45

Where can you measure an O2 stat?

Answer 45

Finger, toe, ear

Question 46

What does nociceptive or somatic pain indicate?

Answer 46

Tissue damage

Question 47

What does neuropathic pain indicate?

Answer 47

results from trauma to the PNS or CNS

Question 48

what does centralized sensitization mean?

Answer 48

Alteration in the CNS processing of sensation that leads to amplification of pain signals

Question 49

What does psychogenic pain indicate?

Answer 49

relates to factors that influence the patient's pain report

Question 50

What does idiopathic pain mean?

Answer 50

pain that has no identifiable etiology