NUR 155 Terms with verified correct definitions

Afebrile Absence of fever Apnea absence of breathing apical pulse pulse taken with a stethoscope and near the apex of the heart arrhythmia irregular heart rhythm auscultatory gap temporary disappearance of sounds usually heard over the brachial artery, occurring when the cuff pressure is high and is gradually reduced, with the sounds again heard at a lower level of pressure (usually occurring in patients who have hypertension) Bradycardia slow heart rate Bradypnea abnormally slow breathing Cheyne-Strokes Rhythmic waxing and waning of respirations from very deep breathing to very shallow breathing with periods of temporary apnea. Often associated with cardiac failure, increased intracranial pressure, or brain damage Diastolic pressure The pressure of the blood against the arterial walls when the ventricles of the heart are at rest Dysrhythmia Abnormal heart rhythm Dyspnea difficult or labored breathing Eupnea normal breathing Exhalation breathing out expiration breathing out Febrile fever, feverish fever elevated body temperature fever spikes A temperature that rises to fever level rapidly following a normal temperature and the returns within a few hours Hypertension abnormally high blood pressure (140/90) Hyperthermia Abnormally high body temperature Hyperventilation increased rate and depth of breathing hyperpyrexia extremely high body temperature or fever hypotension low blood pressure persistently lower than 90/60 mm Hg hypothermia abnormally low body temperature hypoventilation decreased rate or depth of air movement into the lungs Inspiration breathing in (inhalation) orthostatic hypotension Decrease in blood pressure related to positional or postural changes from lying to sitting or standing positions oxygen saturation a clinical measurement of the percentage of hemoglobin that is bound with oxygen in the blood pulse Beat of the heart as felt through the walls of the arteries. Pyrexia fever Respiration the act of breathing, including intake of oxygen and output of co2 from the cells to the atmosphere systolic pressure Blood pressure in the arteries during contraction of the ventricles. Tachycardia an abnormally rapid heart rate Tachypnea abnormally rapid breathing ventiliation movement of air in and out of the lungs pollar pale in color Cyanosis blue discoloration of the skin caused by a lack of adequate oxygen in the blood Jaundice yellowing of the skin Erythema redness of the skin edema swelling alopecia hair loss clubbing a condition where the angle of the nail bed is 180 degrees or larger exophthalmos abnormal protrusion of the eyeball myopia nearsightedness hyperopia farsightedness presbyopia impaired vision as a result of aging (farsightedness) astigmatism defective curvature of the cornea or lens of the eye conductive hearing loss hearing impairment caused by interference with sound or vibratory energy in the external canal, middle ear, or ossicles sensorineural hearing loss hearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea's receptor cells or to the auditory nerves; also called nerve deafness presbycusis hearing impairment in old age