Unit I: Ch. 29

Question 1

what are the traditional vital signs, plus two others

Answer 1

Traditional: body temp, pulse, respiration, & blood pressure

two additional: pain and oxygen saturation

Question 2

Checking patients vital signs shouldn’t be automatic or routine procedures, but ……

Answer 2

a thoughtful, scientific assessment

Question 3

UAP may measure, record, and report vital signs, but what responsibilities rest with the registered nurse

Answer 3

the real assessment/interpretation of the measurements

Question 4

what is body temperature

Answer 4

balance between heat lost and produced by body

Question 5

what is the core temperature

Answer 5

temp of deep tissues of body, which are usually relatively constant

Question 6

what is the surface temperature

Answer 6

temp of skin, SQ tissue, & fat, which will rise and fall with external temps

Question 7

what are the five most important factors that affect the body’s heat production

Answer 7

1. ) basil metabolic rate
2. ) muscle activity
3. ) thyroxine output
4. ) epinephrine, norepinephrine, & sympathetic stimulation/stress response
5. ) fever

Question 8

what are the four ways heat is lost from the body

Answer 8

radiation, convection, conduction, evaporation

Question 9

how is heat lost by radiation

Answer 9

heat transfer from one object to another without contact

Question 10

how is heat lost by conduction

Answer 10

heat transfer from one molecule to a another molecule of lower temperature

Question 11

how is heat lost by convection

Answer 11

heat dispersion by air currents

Question 12

how is heat lost by evaporation

Answer 12

vaporization of moisture from skin, respiratory tract, & mucosa of mouth

Question 13

what are the three physiological processes used to increase body temperature

Answer 13

1. ) shivering increases body temp
2. ) Inhibition of sweating to decrease heat loss
3. ) vasoconstriction decreases heat loss

Question 14

what are factors that affect body temperature

Answer 14

age, diurnal variations (circadian rhythms), exercise, hormones, stress, environment

Question 15

what is the normal range for body temperature for adults

Answer 15

96.8ºF – 99.5ºF (36ºC – 37.5ºC)

Question 16

three terms for a body temp above usual range

Answer 16

pyrexia, hyperthermia, or fever

Question 17

term for a very high fever, 105ºF (41ºC)

Answer 17

hyperpyrexia

Question 18

term for an extremely low body temp, 95ºF (35ºC)

Answer 18

hypothermia

Question 19

someone who has a fever is referred to as

Answer 19

febrile

Question 20

someone w/o a fever is referred to as

Answer 20

afebrile

Question 21

what are the four common fever types

Answer 21

intermittent, remittent, relapsing, constant

Question 22

what are two examples of elevated body temps that are not considered fevers

Answer 22

heat exhaustion and heat stroke

Question 23

what is an intermittent fever

Answer 23

when body temp alternates at regular intervals of high, normal, and subnormal temps

Question 24

what is a remittent fever

Answer 24

when body temp fluctuates over a wide range of temps, all of which are above normal

Question 25

what is a relapsing fever

Answer 25

short febrile periods for a few days with periods of 1-2 days of normal temp

Question 26

what is a constant fever

Answer 26

when body temp fluctuates minimally but remains above normal

Question 27

what are the most common sites for measuring body temperatures

Answer 27

oral, rectal, axillary, tympanic membrane, temporal artery

Question 28

what is a pulse

Answer 28

wave of blood created by contraction of the left ventricle of the heart

Question 29

what is cardiac output

Answer 29

the volume of blood pumped into the arteries by the heart and equals the result of the SV x HR/min

Question 30

what is a peripheral pulse

Answer 30

a pulse located away from the heart

Question 31

what is the apical pulse

Answer 31

the central pulse located at the apex of the heart

Question 32

what are the nine pulse sites

Answer 32

temporal, carotid, apical, brachial, radial, femoral, popliteal, posterior tibial, pedal (dorsalis pedis)

Question 33

what are the common methods for assessing pulse

Answer 33

palpation (feeling) or auscultation (hearing by stethoscope)

Question 34

what is tachycardia

Answer 34

heart rate that exceeds 100 bpm

Question 35

what is bradycardia

Answer 35

heart rate that's below 60 bpm

Question 36

what is the pulse rhythm

Answer 36

pattern of beats and intervals between the beats

Question 37

what is dysrhythmia or arrhythmia

Answer 37

an irregular heart rhythm

Question 38

the force of blood with each beat is known as

Answer 38

pulse volume

Question 39

what is the apical-radial pulse assessment

Answer 39

when the apical & radial pulse is take simultaneously, typically by two nurses

Question 40

inhalation refers to what act

Answer 40

the intake of air into the lungs

Question 41

exhalation refers to what act

Answer 41

breathing air out of the lungs

Question 42

what are the two types of breathing

Answer 42

costal (thoracic) and diaphragmatic (abdominal) breathing

Question 43

breathing that involves the external intercostal muscles as well as other accessory muscles is what type of breathing

Answer 43

costal (thoracic) breathing

Question 44

breathing that involves the contraction and relaxation of the diaphragm is known as what type of breathing

Answer 44

diaphragmatic (abdominal) breathing

Question 45

what qualities of breathing should be assessed when looking at respiration

Answer 45

rate, depth, rhythm, quality, and effectiveness

Question 46

what is bradypnea

Answer 46

abnormally slow respiration

Question 47

what tachypnea

Answer 47

abnormally fast respirations

Question 48

what is systolic pressure

Answer 48

the pressure of blood as a result of ventricles contracting

Question 49

what is diastolic pressure

Answer 49

pressure of blood when the ventricles are at rest

Question 50

pulse pressure is the term that describes what

Answer 50

the difference between the diastolic and systolic pressures

Question 51

when a blood pressure is persistently above normal its called

Answer 51

hypertension

Question 52

what does hypotension refer to

Answer 52

blood pressure that's below normal

Question 53

a client that experiences a fall in blood pressure when they sit or stands has what

Answer 53

orthostatic hypotension

Question 54

the five phases of blood pressure sounds are called what

Answer 54

Korotkoff's sounds

Question 55

the temporary disappearance of sounds normally heard over the brachial artery when the cuff pressure is high followed by the reappearance of sounds at a lower level is called what

Answer 55

an auscultatory gap

Question 56

a noninvasive device that estimates a client's arterial blood oxygen saturation by a sensor is known as what

Answer 56

pulse oximeter

Question 57

what does an oxygen saturation value signify

Answer 57

the percent of all hemoglobin binding sites that are occupied by oxygen