Vital Signs skill module

Question 1

antipyretic

Answer 1

a substance or procedure that reduces fever
-Acetaminophen and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen, salicylates, and indomethacin reduce fever by increasing heat loss

Question 2

apnea

Answer 2

temporary or transient cessation of breathing

Question 3

auscultatory gap

Answer 3

temporary disappearance of sounds usually heard over the brachial artery, occurring when the cuff pressure is high and is gradually reduced, with the sounds again heard at a lower level of pressure (usually occurring in patients who have hypertension)

Question 4

axillary

Answer 4

-36.5 C/ 97.7F
pertaining to the axilla, the cavity beneath the junction of a forelimb and the body; also called the armpit or the underarm

Question 5

brachial pulse

Answer 5

beating or throbbing felt over the brachial artery, usually palpated in the antecubital space

Question 6

bradycardia

Answer 6

an abnormally slow pulse rate, usually fewer than 60 beats per minutes in an adult

Question 7

bradynea

Answer 7

an abnormally slow respiratory rate, usually fewer than 12 breaths per minutes in an adult

Question 8

cardio output

Answer 8

the amount of blood pumped into the arteries by the heart during one minute; the product of the heart rate and the stroke volume

Question 9

centigrade

Answer 9

relating to the international thermometric scale on which 0° is the freezing point and 100° is the boiling point; Celsius

Question 10

core temp

Answer 10

the amount of heat in the deep tissues and structures of the body, such as the liver
-Body tissues and cells function efficiently within a narrow range, from 36° to 38° C (96.8° to 100.4° F), but no single temperature is normal for all people.

Question 11

diastolic pressure

Answer 11

the force exerted when the heart is at rest in between each beat; the lowest pressure exerted against the arterial walls at all times

Question 12

dyspnea

Answer 12

the sensation of difficult or labored breathing

Question 13

eupnea

Answer 13

-(yoop-nee-uh)

normal respiration

Question 14

fahrenheit

Answer 14

relating to the temperature scale on which 32° is the freezing point and 212° is the boiling point

Question 15

febrile

Answer 15

feverish; pertaining to a fever

Question 16

fever

Answer 16

an elevated body temperature , aka pyrexia

• because heat-loss mechanisms are unable to keep pace with excessive heat production, thus high body temp
• A fever is usually not harmful if it stays below 39° C (102.2° F) in adults or below 40° C (104° F) in children.

Question 17

hypertension

Answer 17

a common cardiovascular disorder, often with no symptoms, in which the blood exerts an abnormal amount of force on the inside walls of the arteries persistently and blood pressure readings are persistently above 120/80 mmHg

Question 18

hypotension

Answer 18

a condition in which blood pressure falls below the normal range; not usually considered a problem unless it causes symptoms, such as dizziness or fainting

Question 19

Korotkoff sounds

Answer 19

a series of five sounds (four sounds followed by an absence of sound) heard during the auscultatory determination of blood pressure and produced by sudden distention of the artery because of the proximally placed pneumatic cuff

Question 20

orthopnea

Answer 20

ability to breathe without difficulty only when in an upright position (sitting upright or standing)

Question 21

orthostatic hypotension

Answer 21

a sudden drop in blood pressure resulting from a change in position, usually when standing up from a sitting or reclining position and often causing dizziness

Question 22

oximetry

Answer 22

determination of the oxygen saturation of arterial blood using a photoelectric device called an oximeter

Question 23

oxygen saturation

Answer 23

a clinical measurement of the percentage of hemoglobin that is bound with oxygen in the blood

Question 24

palpation

Answer 24

the application of the fingers with light pressure to the surface of the body to determine the condition of the underlying parts

Question 25

pulse deficit

Answer 25

the difference between the apical and the radial pulse rates. This condition may indicate a lack of peripheral perfusion for some of the heart contractions.

Question 26

pulse pressure

Answer 26

the difference between the systolic and the diastolic blood pressures

Question 27

radial pulse

Answer 27

beating or throbbing felt over the radial artery, usually palpated over the groove along the thumb side of the inner wrist

Question 28

S1

Answer 28

the first heart sound, heard when the atrioventricular (mitral and tricuspid) valves close

Question 29

s2

Answer 29

The second heart sound, heard when the semilunar (aortic and pulmonic) valves close

Question 30

Sims’ position

Answer 30

a side-lying position with the lowermost arm behind the body and the uppermost leg flexed

Question 31

stroke volume

Answer 31

The amount of blood entering the aorta with each ventricular contraction

Question 32

systolic pressure

Answer 32

the amount of force exerted within the arteries while the heart is actively pumping or contracting; the maximum pressure exerted against the arterial walls

Question 33

tachycardia

Answer 33

an abnormally fast pulse rate, usually above 100 beats per minutes in an adult

Question 34

tachypnea

Answer 34

an abnormally fast respiratory rate, usually more than 20 breaths per minutes in an adult

Question 35

tympanic

Answer 35

pertaining to the ear canal or eardrum (tympanic membrane)

Question 36

vital signs

Answer 36

measurements of physiological functioning, specifically temperature, pulse, respirations, and blood pressure, but may also include pain and pulse oximetry

Question 37

Afebrile

Answer 37

Condition that patient is in after fever breaks

Question 38

Hyperthermia

Answer 38

An elevated body temperature related to the inability of the body to promote heat loss or reduce heat production is hyperthermia.
- results from an overload of the thermoregulatory mechanisms of the body.

Question 39

Hypothermia

Answer 39

Prolonged exposure to cold overwhelms body’s ability to produce heat
Mild 34-36 C, 93.2 - 96.8 F
Moderate 30-34 C,86.0 - 93.2
Severe <30C, 86F

Question 40

Tympanic temperature

Answer 40

• close to oral

- 37C (98.6F) …. usually .9F (5C) lower than oral

Question 41

Temporal artery temperature

Answer 41

Nearly 1 F (.5C) degree higher than oral (96.8F to 100.4F, 36.2 to 38C)

Question 42

Oral temperature

Answer 42

(96.8F to 100.4F, 36.2 to 38C)

Question 43

Rectal temp

Answer 43

• 37.5C(99.5F)

- 9F (.5C) higher than oral

Question 44

Apical pulse

Answer 44

Fourth to fifth intercostal space at left midclavicular line

- if pulse is irregular or if medication affects HR use apical pulse

Question 45

Average temp range for adult

Answer 45

Average temperature range: 36° to 38° C (96.8° to 100.4° F)

Question 46

Respiration

Answer 46

• The mechanism the body uses to exchange gases between the atmosphere and the blood and the blood in the cells
• ventilation/diffusion

Question 47

Ventilation

Answer 47

The movement of gases in and out of the lungs

Question 48

Perfusion

Answer 48

The distribution of RBCs to and from the pulmonary capillaries

Question 49

Diffusion

Answer 49

The movement of oxygen and CO2 between alveoli and RBCs

Question 50

Systolic BP

Answer 50

The contraction of the heart forces the blood under high pressure into the aorta
- the peak of max pressure when ejection occurs

Question 51

Sphygmomanometer

Answer 51

• includes a pressure manometer, an occlusive cuff that encloses an inflatable rubber , and pressure bulb with a release valve that inflates the bladder

Question 52

ultrasonic stethoscope

Answer 52

When you are unable to auscultate sounds because of a weakened arterial pulse, you can use an ultrasonic stethoscope
-This stethoscope allows you to hear low-frequency systolic sounds. You frequently use this device when measuring the BP of infants and children and low BP in adults.

Question 53

Doppler stethoscope

Answer 53

A Doppler stethoscope, on the other hand, can send sound waves into the body and register the frequency at which they bounce back. Shift in frequency of a moving object, such as the heart inside a person’s chest, or an ambulance traveling toward a traffic junction, is called the Doppler Effect. Compared to a regular stethoscope, a Doppler stethoscope is more useful in environments with high ambient sound, such as in a helicopter.