- accessory muscle use
- sign of respiratory distress, using muscles other than the diaphragm and intercostal muscles to aid in the process of breathing
- anthropometric measurement
- noninvasive quantitative measurement of the human body; examples are height, weight, body mass index, body circumferences, and body fat measurements
- anthropometry tape
- flexible measuring tape used to determine body circumferences
- antipyretic
- medication that alleviates a fever
- apnea
- the cessation of breathing
- arrhythmia
- abnormal heart rate and rhythm
- asystole
- the heart fails to contract and produce a pulse
- atelectasis
- collapsing of the alveoli
- auscultatory gap
- a brief absence of sound between the origin and disappearance of the Korotkoff sounds during obtainment of blood pressure
- bariatric scale
- instrument to measure weight in obese and severely obese individuals
- bed scale
- instrument to measure weight in immobile patients or patients on bed rest, a component of most hospital beds
- body mass index (BMI)
- a value that is calculated from an individual’s height and weight to provide as measurement relative to the standards for ideal body weight
- bradycardia
- pulse rate slower than 60 beats per minute
- bradypnea
- a slower-than-normal respiratory rate (fewer than twelve breaths per minute in adults) at rest
- cardiac output
- total amount of blood ejected by the heart into circulation in one minute, measured in liters
- Cheyne-Stokes respiration
- a cyclical breathing pattern involving periods of apnea and hyperventilation that often occurs at end of life
- conduction
- mechanism of heat transfer through direct contact with an object
- convection
- mechanism of heat transfer that occurs through air or water currents
- cyanosis
- a bluish or dusky discoloration of the skin and mucous membranes caused by hypoxia
- demi-span
- the preferred method of obtaining height for patients unable to stand; the technique involves measuring the distance in centimeters from the middle of the sternal notch to the tip of the middle finger while the arm is at a 90-degree angle to the body and using a conversion factor to compute height
- diaphoresis
- sweating
- dyspnea
- difficult, labored breathing pattern
- evaporation
- the transfer of heat through the change of water from a liquid to vapor
- hypertension
- an elevated blood pressure
- hyperthermia
- core body temperature hotter than 105.8°F (41°C)
- hypotension
- a lowered blood pressure
- jaundice
- yellowing of the skin and sclera
- Korotkoff sound
- the pulsating, tapping sound heard with a stethoscope as blood flows through the brachial artery
- Kussmaul respiration
- a deep, rapid breathing pattern associated with metabolic acidosis
- medulla
- the respiratory control center of the brain
- Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS)
- measurement tool that analyzes vital sign data and level of consciousness, which are used to provide an early warning for deterioration in the patient’s status
- narrowed pulse pressure
- pulse pressure less than 25 percent of the systolic blood pressure (i.e., 110/85)
- normothermia
- normal range of body temperature
- pallor
- paleness of the skin and mucous membranes
- piloerection
- goosebumps
- pulse oximeter
- instrument that measures the oxygen saturation of the blood
- pulse pressure
- difference between the systolic and diastolic blood pressure; normally about 40 mm Hg
- pyrexia
- fever
- pyrogen
- fever-inducing substance
- radiation
- mechanism of heat transfer through infrared waves
- respiratory depression
- slower than normal respiratory rate, generally experienced as a side effect of anesthetics and opioids
- skinfold calipers
- instrument used to assess the thickness of skinfolds
- sling scale
- a scale used for completely immobile patients using a sling or piece of large fabric
- sphygmomanometer
- instrument used to obtain a blood pressure reading, also known as a blood pressure cuff
- stadiometer
- a height ruler for patients able to stand
- stethoscope
- medical equipment used to amplify internal body sounds for its user
- stroke volume (SV)
- the volume of blood pumped out of the left ventricle of the heart during each systolic cardiac contraction
- tachycardia
- heart rate faster than 100 beats per minute
- tachypnea
- a respiratory rate that exceeds 20 breaths per minute
- thermometer
- instrument used to measure body temperature
- thermoregulation
- the body’s ability to maintain its temperature within a normal range
- vasoconstriction
- decrease in the blood vessel diameter
- vasodilation
- increase in the diameter of the blood vessel
- vital sign
- a marker of physiological homeostasis and essential in the analysis of monitoring patient progress; obtained by measuring body temperature, pulse, respiratory rate, and blood pressure
- widened pulse pressure
- pulse pressure more than 100 mm Hg (i.e., 174/69)