Vital Signs

Question 1

What is considered normal blood pressure?

Answer 1

less than 120/ less than 80

Question 2

What is considered elevated blood pressure?

Answer 2

Systolic 120-129 and diastolic less than 80

Question 3

What is considered hypertension stage 1?

Answer 3

Systolic 130-139 or diastolic 80-89

Question 4

what is considered hypertension stage 2

Answer 4

systolic 140 or higher and diastolic 90 or higher

Question 5

what is considered a hypertensive crisis?

Answer 5

a systolic higher than 180 and diastolic higher than 120

Question 6

What are clinical indications of cardiovascular disease?

Answer 6

-dyspnea (abnormal breathing)
-Fatigue
-Chest pain or palpitations
-Cyanosis (poor circulation to extremities [blue tine]) and digital clubbing
-Intermittent claudication
-edema
-overweight

Question 7

what is blood pressue?

Answer 7

the pressure exerted on arterial walls due to the contractile force of blood ejected by the ventricles each beat against the resistance of the arterial walls

Question 8

what is systolic pressure?

Answer 8

Peak ventricular contractile force pushing blood through the arteries

Question 9

What is diastolic pressure?

Answer 9

Occurs when the ventricles are relaxed; the lowest pressure against the walls of an artery

Question 10

Why does blood pressure increase with age?

Answer 10

-stiffer blood vessels
-fills up with plaque
-smaller tube = greater force

Question 11

Our blood pressure is the lowest in the ______ and increases (peaks) in the ________

Answer 11

Morning, Afternoon

Question 12

Most cardiac medications and narcotics will…

Answer 12

decrease BP

Question 13

what is hypotension?

Answer 13

Low blood pressure. Systolic less than 90.

Question 14

What are signs of an abnormally low BP?

Answer 14

-tachycardia (HR bumps up to try to get blood to the rest of the body)
-dizziness
-confusion & restlessness
-cool, clammy, pale

Question 15

what is orthostatic hypotension?

Answer 15

When a person’s blood pressure falls when moving from a seated or lying position to a standing position. There is greater than 20mmhg change in systolic and greater than 10mmhg change in diastolic

Question 16

what are possible causes of hypotension?

Answer 16

-prolonged bed rest
-decreased blood vol
-medications
-bradycardia
-heart attack
-hormonal issues
-nutritional deficiencies

Question 17

Phase 1 karotkoff sounds

Answer 17

first faint clear sound, systolic pressure is recorded as the first of 2 successive soudns

Question 18

phase 2 Korotkoff sounds

Answer 18

sound changes to a murmur and can be distinguished as a swishing sound

Question 19

phase 3 karotkoff sounds

Answer 19

distinguished as knocking

Question 20

Phase 4 kartokoff sound

Answer 20

sounds become muffled as the pressure in the cuff decreases. They can be soft “blowing” quality

Question 21

phase 5 karotkoff sound

Answer 21

silence- disappearance of sound (diastolic(

Question 22

auscultatory gap

Answer 22

A brief period when karotkoff sounds disappear during auscultation of blood pressure; common with hypertension. Phase II disappears which can lead to falsely low systolic and falsely high diastolic

Question 23

what is considered a normal pulse rate?

Answer 23

60-90 bpm

Question 24

what is considered bradycardia?

Answer 24

Less than 60 bpm

Question 25

what is considered tachycardia?

Answer 25

greater than 100 bpm

Question 26

what is normal pulse rate for newborns?

Answer 26

70-190 bpm

Question 27

what is a normal pulse rate for children?

Answer 27

70-120 bpm

Question 28

What is a thready (+1) pulse?

Answer 28

It is easily obliterated, barely perceptible, in and out

Question 29

A pulse that is absent (0) is...

Answer 29

no perceptible pulse

Question 30

A pulse that is weak (+2) is..

Answer 30

difficult to palpate, stronger than thready, and obliterated with light pressure

Question 31

A pulse that is normal (3+) is..

Answer 31

easy to palpate, requires moderate pressure to obliterate

Question 32

A pulse that is bounding (+4) is...

Answer 32

very strong, not obliterated with moderate pressure

Question 33

A rhythm that is regular...

Answer 33

has equal intervals between beats

Question 34

A rhythm that is regularly irregular...

Answer 34

skips the same beat each cycle

Question 35

A rhythm that is irregularly irregular

Answer 35

skips beats randomly

Question 36

a bigeminal rhythm is when...

Answer 36

two beats occur in rapid succession

Question 37

what should you look for when checking respiration?

Answer 37

-rate -depth -rhythm -regularity of breaths

Question 38

respiratory rates should be taken...

Answer 38

passively

Question 39

abnormal respiratory sounds

Answer 39

Adventitious; includes crackles, rhonchi, and wheezes

Question 40

wheezing breath sounds

Answer 40

high pitched whistling sounds from narrowed airways

Question 41

stridor breath sounds

Answer 41

high pitched, harsh sounds caused by spasm or swelling of the larynx or an obstruction in the upper airway (glottis or trachea)

Question 42

crackles/rales breath sounds

Answer 42

rattling or bubbling sounds

Question 43

stertorous breathing

Answer 43

breathing that sounds like snoring; obstruction of upper airway

Question 44

beta blockers and ace inhibitors can ______ pulse response

Answer 44

blunt

Question 45

beta-adrenergic blockers (albuterol) will...

Answer 45

decrease pulse rate

Question 46

Hyperventilation is...

Answer 46

tachypnea so great that blood levels of carbon dioxide decrease to dangerous levels

Question 47

what are normal respiration rates for newborns? (breaths/min)

Answer 47

30-60

Question 48

what are normal respiration rates during early childhood?

Answer 48

20-40

Question 49

what are normal respiration rates during late childhood?

Answer 49

15-28

Question 50

what are normal respiration rates during adolescence?

Answer 50

18-22

Question 51

what are normal respiration rates in adult males?

Answer 51

14-18

Question 52

what are normal respiration rates in adult females?

Answer 52

16-20

Question 53

what is considered tachypnea?

Answer 53

rapid breathing; greater than 20 breaths per min

Question 54

what is considered bradypnea?

Answer 54

slow breathing; less than 10 breaths per min

Question 55

what is apnea?

Answer 55

absence of breathing

Question 56

what is normal O2 saturation?

Answer 56

92-100%

Question 57

What is pulse oximetry?

Answer 57

A measure of arterial oxyhemoglobin saturation

Question 58

how do pulse oximeters work?

Answer 58

oxygenated hemoglobin absorbs more infrared light and deoxygenated hemoglobin absorbs more red light. Pulse oximeters compare red and infrared light absorption.

Question 59

what is deconditioned O2 saturation?

Answer 59

less than 88%

Question 60

What are the limitations of pulse oximeters?

Answer 60

-poor circulation or anemia decreases SO2 - COPD -temperature -nail polish -ambient light -movement -CO inhalation

Question 61

what are the pulse sites?

Answer 61

carotid, brachial, radial, ulnar, femoral, popliteal, dorsalis pedis artery

Question 62

what is considered normal temperature?

Answer 62

98.6 F

Question 63

what is considered a fever?

Answer 63

Above 101

Question 64

infections and deep vein thrombosis will ______ temperature. TBI's and SCI's will _______ temperature because the thermoregulatory system is impacted.

Answer 64

Increase increase or decrease

Question 65

the strength or amplitude of pulse reflects.....

Answer 65

stroke volume= the vol of blood ejected out of the left ventricle of the heart during each systolic cardiac contraction

Question 66

what is pulse?

Answer 66

A wave of blood from one contraction of the left ventricle during a cardiac cycle