| A | B |
|---|
| Arteriosclerosis | loss of elasticity in the walls of the blood vessels |
| Atherosclerosis | accumulation of fat deposits inside of arteries, making them more narrow |
| Axilla | armpit |
| Body temperature | the amount of heat in the body that is a balance between the amount of heat produced and the amount lost by the body |
| Cheyne-Stokes | a pattern of breathing in which respirations gradually increase in rate and depth and then become shallow and slow; breathing may stop for 10 to 20 seconds |
| Congestive heart failure (CHF) | the inability of the heart to pump an adequate quantity of blood |
| Emphysema | respiratory condition in which the elasticity of the alveoli is lost, resulting in difficulty breathing |
| Heart attack/myocardial infarction (MI) | a blockage or clot occurring in an artery in the heart, resulting in chest pain due to tissue damage |
| Hypertension | high blood pressure |
| Hypotension | low blood pressure |
| Pneumonia | inflammation of the lungs with fluid accumulation in the affected alveoli |
| Pulse | the beat of the heart felt at an artery as a wave of blood passes through the artery |
| Pulse rate | the number of heartbeats or pulses felt in 1 minute |
| Respirations | act of breathing in and out of the lungs (inhalation/exhalation) |
| Orthostatic hypotension | a sudden drop in blood pressure when the resident moves from a lying to a sitting or standing position; results in fainting |
| Tuberculosis | an infection, primarily of the lung, from mycobacterium tuberculosis |
| Vital signs | temperature, pulse, respirations, and blood pressure |
| Blood pressure (BP) | the amount of force exerted against the walls of an artery by the blood |
| Diastolic pressure | the pressure in the arteries when the heart is at rest (the bottom number) |
| Hypertension | high blood pressure; consistent BP measurements above the normal systolic (150 mm Hg) or diastolic (90 mm Hg) pressures |
| Hypotension | low blood pressure; condition in which systolic BP is below 100 mm Hg and diastolic pressure is below 60 mm Hg |
| mm Hg | millimeters of mercury; the unit of measurement used when taking blood pressure |
| Sphygmomanometer | instrument used to measure BP that consists of a cuff that is applied to the upper arm and a measuring device |
| Stethoscope | instrument used to listen to the sounds produced by the heart, lungs, and other body organs |
| Systolic pressure | amount of force it takes to pump blood out of the heart into the arterial circulation (the top number) |
| Temporal pulse | located on each side of the face |
| Carotid pulse | located on the side of the neck; not a preferred method for elderly; CAUTION: May stop circulation to the brain. |
| Apical pulse | located on the left side of the chest slightly below the nipple; must use a stethoscope |
| Brachial pulse | located at the bend of the elbow |
| Radial pulse | located on the underside of the wrist near the resident's thumb; can be felt by placing the first three fingers of one hand against the radial artery; Do NOT take the pulse with your thumb. |
| Femoral pulse | located at the groin area |
| Pedal pulse | located on the top of each foot |
| Bradycardia | slow pulse rate; usually <60 beats/min |
| Tachycardia | fast pulse rate, >100 beats/min |
| Expectorate | coughing up matter from respiratory tract and spitting it out |
| Ventilate | give air to |
| Apnea | absence of breathing |
| Febrile | feverish |
| Dyspnea | difficulty breathing |
| Afebrile | without fever |
| Aspiration | to draw fluid or object into the lung when breathing in |
| Oral temperature--normal range for elderly adult | 95.0--98.6°F |
| Rectal temperature--normal range for elderly adult | 96.0--99.6°F |
| Axillary temperature--normal range for elderly adult | 94.0--97.6°F |
| Tympanic/aural temperature--normal range for elderly adult | same as oral or rectal, depending on setting used |
| Pulse--normal range for elderly adult | 50-100 |
| Respirations--normal rate per min. for elderly adult | 14-20 |
