Terms Related to Vital Signs

Adventitious sounds - abnormal breath sounds heard over the lung

Antipyretic - agent that reduces fever

Apical-Radial pulse rate - rates counted simultaneously for a full minute at the
apex of the heart and at the radial artery

Apnea - absence of breathing

Arrhythmia - irregular pattern of heart beat; synonym of dysrhythmia

Atelectasis - Incomplete lung expansion or the collapse of alveoli

Auscultation - listening for sounds within the body

Ausculatory Gap - temporary disappearance of the Korotkoff sounds, it

typically occurs between the 1st and 2nd sounds
Blood pressure - force of blood against arterial walls

Bradycardia - abnormally slow rate of pulse; < 60 BPM

Bradypnea - < 12 breaths per minute

Cardiac output - volume of blood pumped from the left ventricle per
minute

Cardinal signs - body temperature, pulse and respiratory rates and blood
pressure; synonym for vital signs

Cheyne-Stokes respiration - gradual increase and then gradual decrease in depth of

respirations followed by a period of apnea

Circadian rhythm - rhythm that completes a full cycle every 24 hours;

synonym for diurnal rhythm

Conduction - transfer of heat to another object during direct contact

Constant fever - body temperature that remains consistently elevated and

fluctuates less than 3.5o F (2o C). Sometimes called a
continuing fever.

Convection - dissemination of heat by motion between areas of

unequal density

Core temperature - temperature of internal areas of the body

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Crisis - point at which body temperatures drop rapidly to normal

Diastolic pressure - the least amount of pressure exerted on arterial walls

which occurs when the heart is at rest between
ventricular contractions

Dyspnea - difficult breathing

Dysrhythmia - irregular pattern of heartbeat; synonym is arrhythmia

Essential hypertension - abnormally elevated blood pressure with no known

cause; synonym for primary hypertension

Eupnea - normal respirations

Evaporation - conversion of a liquid to a vapor

Exhalation - act of breathing out; synonym of expiration

External respiration - act of lung ventilation, oxygen absorption and carbon

dioxide elimination

Fever - elevation above the normal limit of body temperature;

synonym for pyrexia

Hyperpyrexia - high fever, above 105.8o F (41o C)

Hypertension - blood pressure elevated above the upper limit of normal

Hyperpnea - increased depth of breathing

Hyperventilation - Increased rate and depth of breathing

Hypotension - blood pressure below the lower limit of normal

Hypoxia - deficiency in the amount of oxygen reaching the tissues

Hypoxemia - an abnormally low concentration of oxygen in the blood

Hypothermia - body temperature below the lower limit of normal

Hypoventilation - Decreased rate and depth, irregular breathing

Inhalation - act of breathing in; synonym for inspiration

Inspiration - act of breathing in; synonym for inhalation

Intermittent fever - body temperature that alternates between a period of

fever and a period of normal or subnormal temperature

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Korotkoff sounds - series of sounds that correspond to changes in blood
flow through an artery as pressure is released

Kussmaul breathing - deep, rapid and labored breathing

Leukocytosis - an increased total WBC count

Leukopenia - a decreased total WBC count

Lysis - gradual return of an elevated body temperature to

normal

Orthopnea - type of dyspnea in which breathing is easier when the

client sits or stands

Orthostatic hypotension - temporary fall in blood pressure associated with

assuming an upright position; synonym for postural
hypotension

PAO2 - partial pressure of O2 in arterial blood

Palpitation - perception of one’s own heartbeat

Peripheral resistance - restraint to blood flow created by arterial walls in a partial

state of contraction

PO2 - O2 tension/pressure in plasma. Partial O2 force pressure

in plasma.

Pleural Friction rub - crackling sound heard in the chest cavity, caused by
inflamed pleura rubbing against the chest wall

Postural hypotension - temporary fall in blood pressure associated with

assuming an upright position; synonym for orthostatic
hypotension

Premature beat - irregular rhythm in which a heartbeat occurs sooner than

the pace at which previous ones were noted

Primary hypertension - abnormally elevated blood pressure with no known

cause; synonym for essential hypertension

Pulse - wave produced in the wall of an artery with each beat of

the heart

Pulse deficit - difference between the apical and radial pulse rates

Pulse pressure - difference between the systolic and diastolic pressures

Pyrexic - elevation above the upper limit of normal body

temperature; synonym for fever

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Radiation - diffusion or dissemination of heat by electromagnetic
waves

Rales/Crackles - abnormal lung sound described as crackling in nature

Relapsing fever - body temperature that returns to normal for at least a

day after which fever returns

Remittent fever - body temperature that fluctuates several degrees above

normal, but does not reach normal between fluctuations

Respiration - act of breathing in and using oxygen in body cells

Rhonchi/Sonorous - abnormal, continuous sound characterized by a

wheeze/course crackles sonorous, dry, coarse sound heard over the large
airways. This sound may clear with a cough.

SaO2 - arterial blood saturated with O2 measured by arterial

blood gas (ABG). Ratio of oxygenated Hgb to total Hgb.

Secondary hypertension - abnormally elevated blood pressure caused by known

pathology

Set point - the level at which the hypothalamus attempts to maintain

body temperature

Sinoatrial node (S-A node) - tissue in the right atrium where the heartbeat originates;
also called the heart’s pacemaker

SpO2 - estimate of arterial oxygenation saturation which is

measured by a pulse oximeter.

Stertorous breathing - noisy respirations

Stridor - harsh, high-pitched sound usually heard on inspiration

when upper airways become narrowed

Stroke volume - quantity of blood forced out of the left ventricle with each
contraction

Systolic pressure - highest point of pressure on arterial walls when the

ventricles contract

Tachycardia - rapid heart rate; > 100 BPM

Tachypnea - abnormally rapid rate of breathing

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Temperature - refers to the hotness or coldness of a substance

Thrombocytosis - abnormally high platelet count

Thrombocytopenia - abnormally low platelet count

Tissue respiration - acts of using oxygen by body cells; synonym for internal
respiration

Vital signs - body temperature, pulse and respiratory rates and blood
pressure; synonym for cardinal signs

Wheeze/Sibilant Wheeze - continuous, high-pitched sound heard over the small

bronchial tubes