Vital Signs Vocab

2. abnormally high blood pressure
3. low blood pressure that happens when standing after sitting or laying down
5. the blood pressure when the heart is contracting (top number)
8. regular breathing pattern with a rate less than 12/min
11. a condition in which the heartbeats with an regular or abnormal rhythm
12. the quality of blood pumped by the heart in the given period of time, typically measured in liters per minute
15. the gradual decline of a disease process (such as a fever)
19. deep breathing pattern with an increased rate; leads to decreased levels of carbon dioxide and hyperoxygenation
21. abnormally elevated body temperature (greater than 40C [104F])

1. irregular rate and depth of respirations that follow a cyclical pattern. The client will experience shallow breaths that progress to a normal pattern, and increased rate,then the rate begins to slow again,ending with an apneic period
4. a body temperature less than 35C(95F)
6. fast heart rate
7. a slow heart rate
9. the minimum pressure against the arterial walls as the ventricles relax (bottom number)
10. a blood pressure below the expected reference range (systolic less than 90 mm Hg) and can be a result of fluid depletion, heart failure, or vasodilation
13. increased respiratory rate, regular pattern, but abnormally deep
14. a blood pressure that decreases when a client changes positions from lying to sitting or standing, and it can result from various causes
16. the volume of blood pumped out of the left ventricle of the heart during each systolic cardiac contraction
17. regular breathing pattern with a rate greater than 20/min
18. the turning point for better or worse in an acute disease or fever
20. the measurement of heart rate and rhythm