Nursing Fundamentals CH 17-Vital Signs UPDATED ACTUAL Questions and
CORRECT Answers
Afebrile The state of being without fever.
Korotkoff's Sounds • First sound: clear, rhythmic tapping sound gradually increasing in intensity
• Second sound: soft, swishing or murmuring sound representing turbulent blood
flow
• Third sound: sharper, crisper rhythmic sound
• Fourth sound: softening or muffling of rhythmic sound
• Fifth sound: silence
Patients Especially Prone to Orthostatic Hypotension Patients who are dehydrated, have anemia, or have been limited to bedrest for
extended periods of time, those who are receiving medications such as narcotic
analgesics, sedatives, and anesthesia medications, and elderly patients
Factors Affecting Body Temperature Environment, time of day, gender, physical activity and exercise, medications, food
or liquid intake, stress, and illness.
Auscultatory gap In some hypertensive patients, the period of silence between the first Korotkoff
sound heard (the systolic blood pressure [BP]) and the next Korotkoff sound
heard when it resumes at a number 30 to 40 mm Hg lower.
Biot's respirations Respirations characterized by groups of several shallow breaths followed by
variable-length periods of apnea.
Bradycardia A pulse that is less than 60 bpm.
Bradypnea A respiratory rate below 12 respirations per minute.
, Cheyne-Stokes respirations A pattern of respirations that begin shallow, gradually increase in depth and
frequency to a peak, then begin to decrease in depth and frequency until they are
slow and shallow; this is followed by a period of apnea lasting from 10 to 60
seconds.
Diastole The time during which the ventricles are at rest.
Diastolic pressure The measurement of the pressure exerted by the blood on the artery walls while
the heart ventricles are not contracting, which is the lower of the two pressures.
Dyspnea Labored or difficult breathing.
Eupnea Respirations in which the rate, depth, rhythm, pattern, and respiratory effort fall
within normal parameters.
Hypertension, secondary Blood pressure that becomes elevated due to renal or endocrine disease.
Hypotension Low blood pressure. This term describes a blood pressure reading that suddenly
falls 20 to 30 mm Hg below an individual's normal blood pressure or one that falls
below the low normal of 90/60 mm Hg.
Febrile The state of having a fever.
Hypertension High blood pressure. This term describes a systolic reading consistently above 140
or a diastolic reading consistently over 90.
Hypertension, primary The rise in blood pressure that occurs as a result of the heart's having to work
harder to pump blood through artery walls made less elastic due to
arteriosclerosis; also known as essential hypertension.
Hypothermia A condition in which an individual's core temperature drops below 95°F (35°C).
Orthopnea A condition in which an individual finds it too hard to breathe unless he or she is
positioned in an upright position, such as sitting or standing.
Pulse deficit A state in which the radial pulse is slower than the apical pulse.
Pulse pressure The measurement of the difference between the systolic and diastolic pressures,
which is found by subtracting the smaller number, the diastolic, from the larger
number, the systolic. A normal range is between 30 and 50 mm Hg.
Sphygmomanometer The aneroid or electronic pressure manometer, or gauge, that is used to measure
blood pressure.
Stridor An audible, high-pitched crowing sound that results from partial obstruction of
the airways.
CORRECT Answers
Afebrile The state of being without fever.
Korotkoff's Sounds • First sound: clear, rhythmic tapping sound gradually increasing in intensity
• Second sound: soft, swishing or murmuring sound representing turbulent blood
flow
• Third sound: sharper, crisper rhythmic sound
• Fourth sound: softening or muffling of rhythmic sound
• Fifth sound: silence
Patients Especially Prone to Orthostatic Hypotension Patients who are dehydrated, have anemia, or have been limited to bedrest for
extended periods of time, those who are receiving medications such as narcotic
analgesics, sedatives, and anesthesia medications, and elderly patients
Factors Affecting Body Temperature Environment, time of day, gender, physical activity and exercise, medications, food
or liquid intake, stress, and illness.
Auscultatory gap In some hypertensive patients, the period of silence between the first Korotkoff
sound heard (the systolic blood pressure [BP]) and the next Korotkoff sound
heard when it resumes at a number 30 to 40 mm Hg lower.
Biot's respirations Respirations characterized by groups of several shallow breaths followed by
variable-length periods of apnea.
Bradycardia A pulse that is less than 60 bpm.
Bradypnea A respiratory rate below 12 respirations per minute.
, Cheyne-Stokes respirations A pattern of respirations that begin shallow, gradually increase in depth and
frequency to a peak, then begin to decrease in depth and frequency until they are
slow and shallow; this is followed by a period of apnea lasting from 10 to 60
seconds.
Diastole The time during which the ventricles are at rest.
Diastolic pressure The measurement of the pressure exerted by the blood on the artery walls while
the heart ventricles are not contracting, which is the lower of the two pressures.
Dyspnea Labored or difficult breathing.
Eupnea Respirations in which the rate, depth, rhythm, pattern, and respiratory effort fall
within normal parameters.
Hypertension, secondary Blood pressure that becomes elevated due to renal or endocrine disease.
Hypotension Low blood pressure. This term describes a blood pressure reading that suddenly
falls 20 to 30 mm Hg below an individual's normal blood pressure or one that falls
below the low normal of 90/60 mm Hg.
Febrile The state of having a fever.
Hypertension High blood pressure. This term describes a systolic reading consistently above 140
or a diastolic reading consistently over 90.
Hypertension, primary The rise in blood pressure that occurs as a result of the heart's having to work
harder to pump blood through artery walls made less elastic due to
arteriosclerosis; also known as essential hypertension.
Hypothermia A condition in which an individual's core temperature drops below 95°F (35°C).
Orthopnea A condition in which an individual finds it too hard to breathe unless he or she is
positioned in an upright position, such as sitting or standing.
Pulse deficit A state in which the radial pulse is slower than the apical pulse.
Pulse pressure The measurement of the difference between the systolic and diastolic pressures,
which is found by subtracting the smaller number, the diastolic, from the larger
number, the systolic. A normal range is between 30 and 50 mm Hg.
Sphygmomanometer The aneroid or electronic pressure manometer, or gauge, that is used to measure
blood pressure.
Stridor An audible, high-pitched crowing sound that results from partial obstruction of
the airways.
