Vital Signs Study Flashcards
Apnea
Lack of breathing
Aural
Relating to the ear or the sense of hearing
Dyspnea
Difficult breathing usually observed as shortness of breath
Edema
Excess build up or retention (aka swelling)
Exhalation
Breathing out; also know as exasperation
Hyperventilation
Breathing too quickly; rapid shallow breaths
Hypothermia
Lowers body temp until it can’t function
Hypoventilation
Breathing too slowly
Hypoxia
Below 85% for oxygen in blood reading (considered low)
Inhalation
Breathing in; also called inspiration
Intravenous (IV)
Existing, within, or administered into a vein or veins
Probe
Long thing medical instrument with blunt end used for exploration of the body cavities
Pulse Oximeter
Measures how well oxygen is being used in the body (95-100% oxygen being used in the body is healthy)
Sphygmamonometer
Measures two pressures as the heart beats
Tachycardia
Fast pulse rate of over 100 bpm
When should you take a persons weight?
When calculating ideal body weight and body mass index; also to calculate medicine dosages
What is a measurement of the body fat that applies to men and women between 18-65 years of age?
Ideal body weight (IBW)
Which types of diets lead to lower blood pressures?
Diets low in salt
Stertorous breathing
Breathing that sounds like snoring
Normal adult respiratory rate
12-20 breaths per min
What can affect a persons pulse?
Activities, meds, sleep patterns, health conditions
Where is the brachial artery located?
Between elbow and armpit
What regulates the body temperature?
The hypothalamus in the brain
Normal temperature for adults
98.6 F or 37 C
Apical pulse
Located at the bottom left portion of the heart
When would you not use a stethoscope to take a blood pressure
When you have/can use an electronic cuff
Normal systolic adult blood pressure
100-130 (top number)
Diastolic blood pressure
Part of blood pressure reading that is taken when the heart muscle relaxes
Bradypnea
Slow breathing
Bradycardia
Heart rate less than 60 bpm
Tympanic thermometer/temperature
In the ear
When should you not use an oral thermometer?
When a patient is receiving oxygen, or when they are agitated or comatose, or when the child is younger than 4 yrs
What do vital signs provide
State of health
When to take vital signs
When:
visiting the doctors office
once a day in long term care
Hourly when very ill
When complaint of dizziness, nausea, or pain
Pyrexia
Fever
Most common place to take a temperature
Oral
Most accurate temperature
Rectal
Axillary temperature
Located in the arm put
Temporal temperature
On the forehead/side of forehead
Radial pulse
Wrist
Carotid pulse
Neck
How to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit 
Multiple by 9
Divide by 5
Add 32
How to convert Fahrenheit to Celsius?
Subtract 32
Multiply by 5
Divide by 9
