| A | B |
|---|
| febrile | with fever |
| afebrile | without fever |
| pyrexia | fever, usually > 101F oral |
| crisis | sudden descent of high temperature |
| lysis | gradual decline of fever |
| tympanic temperature | core temperature assessed at eardrum |
| axillary temperature | typically 1 degree F lower than oral |
| rectal temperature | Core temp. via rectum, considered 1 degree higher F than oral |
| hypothermia | temperature below normal |
| hyperthermia | temperature above normal |
| radial pulse | found at wrist, on "thumb side" |
| brachial pulse | felt at medial side of antecubital space |
| carotid pulse | Pulse felt at side of neck |
| apical pulse | Pulse auscultated at the point of maximum impulse of the heart |
| bradycardia | Slow heart rate, < 60 |
| tachycardia | Fast heart rate, > 95 - 100 |
| arrhythmia | irregular rhythm of the heartbeat |
| dysrhythmia | Disordered or disturbed rhythm |
| auscultation | Listening to sounds in the body with a stethoscope |
| palpation | Assessment of the body through use of hands, touch |
| doppler | An instrument that uses sound waves to detect blood flow |
| vasodilation | Increase in size or diameter of blood vessels |
| vasoconstriction | Decrease in size or diameter of blood vessels |
| ventilation | Mechanical action of breathing in and out |
| diffusion | Movement of gases, such as oxygen and carbon dioxide across a membrane, such as the alveoli (air sacs) of the lungs |
| perfusion | Supplying of cells with oxygenated blood |
| diaphragm | Large muscle at base of lungs, moves down on inspiration |
| intercostal muscles | Muscles between ribs, move out on inspiration |
| apnea | Absense of breathing |
| bradypnea | Slow breathing, <10 - 12 |
| tachypnea | Fast breathing, > 20 |
| orthopnea | Difficulty breathing when lying down |
| dyspnea | Labored breathing |
| Pulse oximetry | Measurement of oxygen saturation in capillaries |
| Systole | Contraction phase of cardiac cycle |
| Diastole | Relaxation phase of cardiac cycle |
| Systolic BP | Pressure of blood on arterial walls when heart contracts: the top number of a BP |
| Diastolic BP | Pressure of blood on the arterial walls during relaxation of the heart: the bottom number of a BP |
| Cardiac output | The amount of blood pumped by the heart in 1 minute |
| Vascular resistance | The amount of elasticity or lack thereof in blood vessel walls. Helps determine the diastolic blood pressure |
| Hypertension | Elevated blood pressure |
| Hypotension | Low blood pressure |
| Orthostatic hypotension | Drop in blood pressure when a person stands up from lying down |
| Blood viscosity | Thickness of the blood, detemined by ratio of cells to liquid part of the blood (plasma) |
| Blood volume | Amount of blood in the body, average is 4 to 6 liters |
| Pulse pressure | Difference between systolic and diastolic blood pressures |
| Korotkoff sounds | Tapping sounds heard when taking a blood pressure |
| mmHg | millimeters of mercury, unit of measurement for blood pressure |
| Hgb | Hemoglobin, the molecule within red blood cells that carries oxygen |
| Oxygen | Gas which makes up 21% of air, vital for all human cells to live |
