Vital Signs Vocabulary

4. The number of times an event occurs in a given period of time (e.g., heart rate or respiratory rate).
5. Another term for fever; elevated body temperature.
11. The body’s ability to maintain a stable internal environment despite external changes.
12. Pertaining to the armpit; a site used to measure body temperature.
13. An abnormally high body temperature; also called pyrexia.
15. The pressure in the arteries when the heart is at rest between beats (bottom number of a blood pressure reading).
16. Abnormally rapid breathing rate.
17. Abnormal crackling or bubbling sounds heard in the lungs during breathing, often indicating fluid.
18. Abnormally low blood pressure.
21. The degree of heat or cold in the body; a vital sign that reflects body heat balance.
23. Abnormally slow heart rate (typically under 60 beats per minute in adults).

1. Irregular or abnormal heart rhythm.
2. Pertaining to the temple of the head; a site used to measure body temperature.
3. Abnormally fast heart rate (typically over 100 beats per minute in adults).
6. Absence of breathing.
7. The pressure of blood felt against the wall of an artery as the heart beats.
8. Pertaining to the ear; refers to measuring temperature in the ear canal.
9. Abnormally slow breathing rate.
10. The pressure in the arteries when the heart contracts (top number of a blood pressure reading).
11. Abnormally high blood pressure.
14. An abnormally high body temperature due to the body’s inability to regulate heat.
19. The process of breathing; includes inhalation and exhalation.
20. An instrument used to listen to sounds within the body, such as heart and lung sounds.
22. An instrument used to measure body temperature.