NUR165 Concepts of Nursing Chapter 17
Vital Signs UPDATED ACTUAL Questions
and CORRECT Answers
Afebrile - CORRECT ANSWER - The state of being without fever.
Apnea - CORRECT ANSWER - A period of no respirations.
Auscultatory gap - CORRECT ANSWER - 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 respirations - CORRECT ANSWER - Respirations characterized by groups of several shallow
breaths followed by variable-length periods of apnea.
Bradycardia - CORRECT ANSWER - A pulse that is less than 60 bpm.
Bradypnea - CORRECT ANSWER - A respiratory rate below 12 respirations per minute.
Cheyne-Stokes respirations - CORRECT ANSWER - A pattern of respirations that begin shallow,
gradually increase in depth and frequency to a peak, and 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 - CORRECT ANSWER - The time during which the ventricles are at rest.
Diastolic pressure - CORRECT ANSWER - 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 - CORRECT ANSWER - Labored or difficult breathing.
, Eupnea - CORRECT ANSWER - Respirations in which the rate, depth, rhythm, pattern, and
respiratory effort fall within normal parameters.
Febrile - CORRECT ANSWER - The state of having a fever.
Hypertension - CORRECT ANSWER - High blood pressure; this term describes a systolic reading
consistently above 130 or a diastolic reading consistently over 80.
Hypertension, primary - CORRECT ANSWER - 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 because of
arteriosclerosis; also known as essential hypertension.
Hypertension, secondary - CORRECT ANSWER - Blood pressure that becomes elevated because
of renal or endocrine disease.
Hypotension - CORRECT ANSWER - 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 100/60 mm Hg.
Hypothermia - CORRECT ANSWER - A condition in which an individual's core temperature
drops below 95°F (35°C).
Hypoxemia - CORRECT ANSWER - The dropping of oxygen levels in the blood below the
normal range.
Hypoxia - CORRECT ANSWER - As a result of hypoxemia, a state in which the blood cannot
take adequate amounts of oxygen to the tissues during internal respiration.
Orthopnea - CORRECT ANSWER - A condition in which an individual finds it too hard to breathe
unless they are positioned in an upright position, such as sitting or standing.
Pulse deficit - CORRECT ANSWER - A state in which the radial pulse is slower than the apical
pulse.
Vital Signs UPDATED ACTUAL Questions
and CORRECT Answers
Afebrile - CORRECT ANSWER - The state of being without fever.
Apnea - CORRECT ANSWER - A period of no respirations.
Auscultatory gap - CORRECT ANSWER - 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 respirations - CORRECT ANSWER - Respirations characterized by groups of several shallow
breaths followed by variable-length periods of apnea.
Bradycardia - CORRECT ANSWER - A pulse that is less than 60 bpm.
Bradypnea - CORRECT ANSWER - A respiratory rate below 12 respirations per minute.
Cheyne-Stokes respirations - CORRECT ANSWER - A pattern of respirations that begin shallow,
gradually increase in depth and frequency to a peak, and 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 - CORRECT ANSWER - The time during which the ventricles are at rest.
Diastolic pressure - CORRECT ANSWER - 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 - CORRECT ANSWER - Labored or difficult breathing.
, Eupnea - CORRECT ANSWER - Respirations in which the rate, depth, rhythm, pattern, and
respiratory effort fall within normal parameters.
Febrile - CORRECT ANSWER - The state of having a fever.
Hypertension - CORRECT ANSWER - High blood pressure; this term describes a systolic reading
consistently above 130 or a diastolic reading consistently over 80.
Hypertension, primary - CORRECT ANSWER - 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 because of
arteriosclerosis; also known as essential hypertension.
Hypertension, secondary - CORRECT ANSWER - Blood pressure that becomes elevated because
of renal or endocrine disease.
Hypotension - CORRECT ANSWER - 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 100/60 mm Hg.
Hypothermia - CORRECT ANSWER - A condition in which an individual's core temperature
drops below 95°F (35°C).
Hypoxemia - CORRECT ANSWER - The dropping of oxygen levels in the blood below the
normal range.
Hypoxia - CORRECT ANSWER - As a result of hypoxemia, a state in which the blood cannot
take adequate amounts of oxygen to the tissues during internal respiration.
Orthopnea - CORRECT ANSWER - A condition in which an individual finds it too hard to breathe
unless they are positioned in an upright position, such as sitting or standing.
Pulse deficit - CORRECT ANSWER - A state in which the radial pulse is slower than the apical
pulse.
