Patient Intake and Vitals terms

49 glossary entries from the Patient Intake and Vitals topic of the CCMA test plan. Try free Patient Intake and Vitals practice questions.

• afebrileWithout fever; temperature at the person's normal baseline.
• anthropometric measurementA body measurement such as height, weight, BMI or head circumference.
• apical pulseThe heartbeat heard with a stethoscope over the apex of the heart, at the fifth intercostal space, midclavicular line.
• apneaAbsence of breathing.
• audiometryA hearing test that measures responses to sounds of different pitches and volumes.
• auscultatory gapA silent period when Korotkoff sounds fade between the systolic and diastolic pressures and then return; missing it…
• axillary temperatureTemperature taken in the armpit.
• blood pressureThe force of blood against the artery walls, written as systolic over diastolic in mm Hg.
• BMIBody mass index: weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared; a screening measure of body fat.
• BPBlood pressure: the force of blood against the artery walls, recorded as systolic over diastolic in mm Hg.
• brachial pulseThe pulse at the inner elbow (antecubital area), where the stethoscope is placed to hear blood pressure sounds.
• bradycardiaHeart rate slower than 60 beats per minute in an adult.
• bradypneaBreathing slower than normal; in adults, fewer than 12 breaths per minute.
• carotid pulseThe pulse in the front of the neck on either side of the trachea; check only one side at a time.
• chief complaintA brief statement of the main reason for the visit, usually in the patient's own words.
• diastolic pressureThe bottom blood pressure number: the pressure remaining while the ventricles relax.
• DxDiagnosis.
• EDDEstimated date of delivery (due date).
• febrileHaving a fever.
• HPIHistory of present illness: the patient's description of how the current problem developed.
• HRHeart rate: number of heartbeats per minute.
• hyperthermiaDangerously high core body temperature.
• hypotensionLow blood pressure.
• hypothermiaAbnormally low core body temperature.
• kg, lbKilogram and pound, units of body weight. Write lb or kg, never # for pounds.
• Korotkoff soundsThe tapping sounds heard through the stethoscope while the cuff deflates; the first sound is the systolic reading and…
• NKDANo known drug allergies.
• objective dataInformation that can be observed or measured, such as vital signs and test results.
• orthostatic hypotensionA drop in blood pressure when the patient moves from lying or sitting to standing, which can cause dizziness.
• painAn unpleasant sensation that usually signals injury or illness.
• PFSHPast, family and social history: the part of the health history covering past illnesses, family conditions and…
• pulseThe rhythmic expansion of an artery with each heartbeat, used to count heart rate.
• pulse oximeterA device that measures the oxygen saturation of the blood.
• pulse pressureThe difference between the systolic and diastolic blood pressures.
• radial pulseThe pulse felt at the wrist on the thumb side; the most common site for routine pulse checks.
• respirationOne breath: an inhalation and an exhalation; respirations are counted per minute.
• ROSReview of systems: questions about each body system to find symptoms the patient may not have mentioned.
• Snellen chartA chart of letters in decreasing size, read from 20 feet, used to test distance visual acuity.
• SOBShortness of breath.
• sphygmomanometerA blood pressure cuff with a gauge used to measure blood pressure.
• SpO2Oxygen saturation measured by pulse oximetry: the percentage of hemoglobin carrying oxygen.
• stethoscopeAn instrument that amplifies body sounds such as the heartbeat, lungs and bowel.
• subjective dataInformation the patient or family reports, such as symptoms and feelings.
• systolic pressureThe top blood pressure number: the highest pressure, during ventricular contraction.
• tachycardiaHeart rate faster than 100 beats per minute in an adult.
• tachypneaBreathing faster than normal; in adults, more than 20 breaths per minute.
• tympanic thermometerA thermometer that reads temperature in the ear canal with infrared.
• visual acuitySharpness of vision.
• vital signsMeasurements of essential body functions: temperature, pulse (heart rate), respiration (breathing rate) and blood…