| A | B |
| afebrile | without fever |
| apnea | without respirations |
| arrhythmia | irregular heart rhythm |
| bradycardia | pulse rate under 60 beats per minute |
| bradypnea | slow respiratory rate |
| Cheyne-Stokes | abnormal breathing pattern; periods of dyspnea and apnea |
| Cyanosis | bluish discoloration of the skin |
| Diastolic | pressure within the walls of arteries when the left ventricle is at rest |
| Dyspnea | difficulty breathing |
| Febrile | elevated body temperature |
| Hyperopia | defect in near vision; farsightedness |
| Hypertension | high blood pressure |
| Hypotension | low blood pressure |
| Hypothermia | rectal temperature below 95°F (35°C) |
| Myopia | defect in distant vision; nearsightedness |
| OS | left eye |
| OD | right eye |
| OU | both eyes |
| Orthopnea | severe dyspnea; requires breathing sitting or standing |
| Pyrexia | fever |
| Rales | bubbling or noisy respirations caused by fluid or mucous in the air passages |
| Rhythm | regularity of the pulse |
| Systole | pressure within the walls of arteries when the left ventricle is contracting |
| Tachycardia | pulse rate above 100 beats per minute (except in children) |
| Tachypnea | rapid |
| Volume | strength of the pulse (strong |
| Wheezing | difficult breathing with a high-pitched whistling |