Chapter #9-Vital Signs and SAMPLE History
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30 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 Vital Signs | Outward signs of what is going on inside the body, including respiration; pulse; skin color, temperature, and condition (pulse capillary refill in infants and children); pupils; and blood pressure |
| Pulse | The rhythmic beats felt as the heart pumps blood through the arteries |
| Pulse Rate | The number of pulse beats per minute |
| Tachycardia | A rapid pulse; any pulse rate above 100 beats per minute |
| Bradycardia | A slow pulse; any pulse rate below 60 beats per minute |
| Pulse Quality | The rhythm (regular or irregular) and force (strong or weak) of the pulse |
| Radial Pulse | The pulse felt at the wrist |
| Brachial Pulse | The pulse felt in the upper arm |
| Carotid Pulse | The pulse felt along the large carotid artery on either side of the neck |
| Respiration | The act of breathing in and breathing out |
| Respiratory Rate | The number of breaths taken in 1 minute |
| Respiratory quality | The normal or abnormal (shallow, labored, or noisy) character of breathing |
| Respiratory Rhythm | The regular or irregular spacing of breaths |
| Pupil | The black center of the eye |
| Dilate | Get larger |
| Constrict | Get smaller |
| Reactivity | In the pupils of the eyes, reacting to light by changing size |
| Blood Pressure | The force of blood against the walls of the blood vessels |
| Systolic Blood Pressure | The pressure created when the heart contracts and forces blood out into the arteries |
| Diastolic Blood Pressure | The pressure remaining in the arteries when the left ventricle of the heart is relaxed and refilling |
| Sphygmomanometer | The cuff and gauge used to measure blood pressure |
| Brachial Artery | The major artery of the arm |
| Auscultation | Listening. A stethoscope is used to auscultate for characteristic sounds. |
| Palpation | Touching or feeling. A pulse or blood pressure may be palpated with the fingertips. |
| Blood Pressure Monitor | Machine that automatically inflates a blood pressure cuff and measures blood pressure |
| Pulse Oximeter | An electronic device for determining the amount of oxygen carried in the blood, known as the oxygen saturation or SpO2 |
| Oxygen Saturation (SpO2) | The ratio of the amount of oxygen present in the blood to the amount that could be carried, expressed as a percentage. |
| Sign | An indication of a patient's condition that is objective, or can be observed by another person; an indication that can be seen, heard, smelled, or felt by the EMT or others |
| Symptoms | An indication of a patient's condition that cannot be observed by another person but rather is subjective, or felt and reported by the patient. |
| SAMPLE History | The present and past medical history of a patient, so called because the elements of the history begin with the letters of the word sample: signs/symptoms, allergies, medications, pertinent past history, last oral intake, events leading to the injury or illness |
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