Test your basic knowledge |

Measuring Vital Signs

Subjects : health-sciences, emergency-medicine

Instructions:

Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
Match each statement with the correct term.
Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.

1. Average blood pressure should be
+2
orthostatic hypertension
120/70
about 1 degree higher than oral temperatures

2. The difference between the systolic pressure and the diastolic pressure
Pulse pressure
Temperature will remain below 102 degrees with use of hypothermia blanket
by placing the flat part of the first fingers against the tendon - or cord - on the thumb inside of the inner wrist and ten rolling the fingers slightly outward into the little trough on the thumb inside the wrist.
thready

3. Are infants blood pressure low or high?
16-20
Hypothermia
low
Pulse

4. Blood pressure for any adult should be no higher than
120/80
Evaporation
Stroke Volume
Relapsing

5. The pressure wave causing te arterial walls in the vascular system each time the heart contracts to force blood into an already full aorta.
Acute anxiety stimulate the nervous system - raising the pulse.
orthostatic hypertension
absent
Pulse

6. Head injury BP?
the proper cuff is 21% bigger than the diameter of the arm. the inflatable bladder should go around 3/4 of the arm.
apnea
raises BP.
hyperoxia

7. Drop in blood pressure when arising to a standing position.
Body temperature drops before ovulation and rises 1 degree above normal during ovulation. During pregnancy the body temperature is slightly higher.
orthostatic hypertension
Stroke Volume
30-80

8. Groin area
Irregular
It doesn't change in a healthy elderly patient but the pattern rhythm may be slightly irregular.
Femoral
if its hot bp can lower because of vasodilation. if its cold it can rise because of vasoconstriction.

9. Side of neck
Korotkoff sounds Phase III: Knocking
carotid
30-80
stridor

10. What happens whens vasoconstriction causes peripheral vascular resistance to rise?
hyperoxia
from drug therapy - a neurologic problem or dehydration.
the blood pressure will rise in order to push the blood along.
Systolic pressure

11. Strong and regular ( even beats wit moderate force)
The pulse rate gradually diminishes from birth to adulthood
in the alveoli - tiny thin-walled sacs
+2
men - African Americans - under a lot of stress - obese

12. Why would patients experience orthostatic hypotenstion?
from drug therapy - a neurologic problem or dehydration.
Pons and Medulla of the brainstem
Evaporation
16-20

13. Shock - hemorrhage - low cardiac output - inadequate volume of blood?
Apical
^160/^100
low BP
men - African Americans - under a lot of stress - obese

14. Full and bounding (even beats wit strong force)
lysis
popliteal
Body temperature drops before ovulation and rises 1 degree above normal during ovulation. During pregnancy the body temperature is slightly higher.
+3

15. What happens when vasodilation occurs?
When an accurate temperature cant be obtained orally and a tympanic or temporal artery thermometer are not available. It may be used when there is nasal congestion or there has been nasal or oral surgery - the patient is unable to keep their mouth cl
Vascular resistance drops and the blood pressure decreases
Acute anxiety stimulate the nervous system - raising the pulse.
orthostatic hypertension

16. Macine that measures oxygen in the blood by determining the percentage of hemoglobin that is bound with oxygen.
The pulse rate increases at the rate of 7-10 beats for each degree of temperature
The body's temperature in the morning is usually low from inactivity of the muscles. The afternooon body temperature may be high-normal because of the body's metabolic processes - the patient's activity - and the temperature of the environment.
place the thermometer in the center of the patients dry axilla. Ask patient to hold the arm tightly against the chest. Leave in place 3-8 minutes.
oximeter

17. Prehypertension
120-139/80-89
ausculatation
left Sims position
hypotension

18. Carbon dioxide is carried as bicarbonate ion in the blood until it reaches where?
the lungs
It will also fall
systolic pressure indicated by faint - clear sound that gradually grow louder.
Korotkoff sounds Phase III: Knocking

19. The maximum pressure exerted on the artery during left ventricular contraction.
about 1 degree lower than oral temperatures
Systolic pressure
Hyperventilation
Cheyenne-Stokes

20. Inside ankle
from drug therapy - a neurologic problem or dehydration.
Body temperature drops before ovulation and rises 1 degree above normal during ovulation. During pregnancy the body temperature is slightly higher.
The pulse rate increases at the rate of 7-10 beats for each degree of temperature
Posterior tibial

21. Pulse lower than 60 beats per minute
Stertor
Korotkoff sounds Phase II Swishing
Hyperthermia related to infection or excessive heat exposure
bradycardia

22. Breathing is an involuntary automatic function controlled by the respiratory center located where?
72 bpm
wheeze
30 seconds and multiplied by 2. unless the person is very sick or has resp. problems you should count for one full minute.
Pons and Medulla of the brainstem

23. What affects does aging do to the respiratory rate?
popliteal
Tall - slender people mayy ave a slower pulse rate than short - stout persons
It may rise slightly as decreases in vital capacity and respiratory reserve occur.
Diaphoresis

24. Alternating rise and fall of the temperature.
Rhonchi
When an accurate temperature cant be obtained orally and a tympanic or temporal artery thermometer are not available. It may be used when there is nasal congestion or there has been nasal or oral surgery - the patient is unable to keep their mouth cl
stridor
intermittent

25. Enviromental temperature BP?
hypertension
if its hot bp can lower because of vasodilation. if its cold it can rise because of vasoconstriction.
place the thermometer in the center of the patients dry axilla. Ask patient to hold the arm tightly against the chest. Leave in place 3-8 minutes.
Acute anxiety stimulate the nervous system - raising the pulse.

26. Barely palpable
Feeble
cardiac patients or patients who have had rectal surgery.
low BP
+3

27. Louder knocking sound that occurs wit each heartbeat
72 bpm
Korotkoff sounds Phase III: Knocking
when it is difficult to find or to count the radial pulse - or for patients with heart conditions for one full minute by placing stethoscope on the heart to count for a full minute.
Conduction

28. Adolescent
shallow or slow breathing
Korotkoff sounds
16-20
Korotkoff sounds Phase III: Knocking

29. The volume of blood pushed into the aorta per heartbeat.
72 bpm
+3
Vascular resistance drops and the blood pressure decreases
Stroke volume

30. When should rectal temperatures NOT be used?
cardiac patients or patients who have had rectal surgery.
30-80
^160/^100
pulse deficit - the radial pulse subtracted from the apical pulse equals the pulse deficit.

31. The lower pressure exerted on the artery when the heart is at rest inbetween contractions.
stridor
Diastolic pressure
constant
Korotkoff sounds Phase V: Silence

32. Diurnal variation BP?
dyspnea
Cardiac Output
blood pressure is lowest in the morning. and higher in the afternoone
orthostatic hypertension

33. Taking axillary temperature
place the thermometer in the center of the patients dry axilla. Ask patient to hold the arm tightly against the chest. Leave in place 3-8 minutes.
It increases to push the blood through more rigid pathways.
Tachypnea
tachycardia

34. Measurement of oxygen
Hypothermia
Hyperventilation
bradycardia
oximetry

35. How does disease increase the body's temperature?
in the alveoli - tiny thin-walled sacs
temperature - pulse - respiration - blood pressure - and pain level.
30 seconds and multiplied by 2. unless the person is very sick or has resp. problems you should count for one full minute.
Because fever is a protective defense mechanisms that the body uses to fight pathogens and their toxins the inflammatory response produces fevers.

36. What happens to the blood if overhydration occurs?
Crisis
Febrile stage - the body temperature rises to a new set point established by the hypothalamus and remains there until there is a resolution to the cause of fever.
Blood pressure increases because there is more volume of blood in the vascular system.
Temperature will remain below 102 degrees with use of hypothermia blanket

37. What characteristics should be noted when checking the pulse?
the rate - the rhythm - and volume
Hypothermia
30-80
Radial

38. Obtaining the correct size for a cuff for BP?
low
silence as cuff deflates for 30 to 40 mm Hg; common with hypertension and elderly patients
crackles
the proper cuff is 21% bigger than the diameter of the arm. the inflatable bladder should go around 3/4 of the arm.

39. Decreased levels of oxygen in the blood - often seen in patients wo are under medical sedation - who are recovering from anesthesia or abdominal surgery - or who are in a weak or debiliated condition.
Diaphoresis
systolic pressure indicated by faint - clear sound that gradually grow louder.
Stroke volume
hypoxemia

40. When is apicial pulse used?
palpate
when it is difficult to find or to count the radial pulse - or for patients with heart conditions for one full minute by placing stethoscope on the heart to count for a full minute.
tachycardia
men - African Americans - under a lot of stress - obese

41. How does menstrual cycle and pregnancy raise the body's temperature?
Relapsing
ausculatation
12-20
Body temperature drops before ovulation and rises 1 degree above normal during ovulation. During pregnancy the body temperature is slightly higher.

42. This affects the character of the pulse.
It uses large muscles in the body - which create body heat by burning up the glucose and fat in the tissues - muscle action generates heat and core temperature rises.
the proper cuff is 21% bigger than the diameter of the arm. the inflatable bladder should go around 3/4 of the arm.
Stroke Volume
Dorsalis pedis

43. Bend of knee
popliteal
Temporal
Increases as body tries to remove excess heat
the BP goes up because more pressure is needed to push the thicker fluid through the vascular system.

44. The temperature of the deep tissues of the body
It uses large muscles in the body - which create body heat by burning up the glucose and fat in the tissues - muscle action generates heat and core temperature rises.
Core Temperature
The pulse rate gradually diminishes from birth to adulthood
variation of about 5-10 between arms. and a 10-40 difference in systolic pressure with leg & arm.

45. Elderly respiration
Onset - which may occur gradually or suddenly. the body responds to a pyrogen by trying to conserve and manufacture heat to raise the set point for core temperature. The person will feel cold - and will add clothes or covers - curl up in a ball - and
left Sims position
16-20
Nursing interventions to reduce fever

46. How does increased body temperature increase the pulse?
restlessness & apprehension - confusion - dizziness - and change in level of consciousness - cyanosis or skin color changes - particularly around the mouth and in the nail beds
The pulse rate increases at the rate of 7-10 beats for each degree of temperature
Evaporation
Tall - slender people mayy ave a slower pulse rate than short - stout persons

47. Signs and symptoms of shock
decrease BP - increase pulse rate - cold and clammy skin - dizziness - blurred vision - and apprehension.
Diaphoresis
Stimulants increase the pulse rate. Depressants decrease the pulse rate.
fever

48. Encourage a large fluid intake - lower room temperature - increase air circulation - remove items of clothes - control or reduce the amount of body activity - carry out physicians orders
Nursing interventions to reduce fever
hypoxia
place the thermometer in the center of the patients dry axilla. Ask patient to hold the arm tightly against the chest. Leave in place 3-8 minutes.
Cardiac Output

49. Snoring sound produced when patients are unable to cough up secretions from the trachea or bronchi
bradycardia
Korotkoff sounds Phase IV: Muffling
intermittent
Stertor

50. Heat is lost from the body by evaporation. resulting in a daily loss of 800mL of water from skin and lungs.
BMR
pyrexia
variation of about 5-10 between arms. and a 10-40 difference in systolic pressure with leg & arm.
Evaporation