Vital Signs and Stability
MediumFind each term and learn what vital sign changes reveal about a patient's physiological stability.
8 terms · Choose how you want to study
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This set covers hemodynamic and respiratory stability concepts essential for the NCLEX Physiological Adaptation domain.
Vital signs are the body’s dashboard, and the exam expects you to read them in combination — tachycardia with hypotension tells a very different story than either finding alone. These eight terms cover pressure and rate in both directions, fluid status, the inflammatory response, and the oxygenation-to-perfusion pipeline that decides whether tissues actually receive what the lungs take in.
Terms in this set
- Hypertension A chronic elevation of blood pressure ≥130/80 mmHg (AHA 2017), a major modifiable risk factor for stroke, MI, and renal failure.
- Tachycardia Heart rate exceeding 100 beats per minute; may indicate fever, pain, dehydration, hemorrhage, anxiety, or cardiac arrhythmia.
- Bradycardia Heart rate below 60 beats per minute; may be normal in conditioned athletes but pathological if the patient is symptomatic.
- Hypotension Blood pressure significantly below normal (systolic <90 mmHg), resulting in inadequate tissue perfusion and oxygen delivery.
- Dehydration A deficit of total body water that impairs cellular function; caused by inadequate intake, excessive loss, or both.
- Inflammation A protective physiological response to tissue injury or infection, characterized by redness, heat, swelling, pain, and loss of function.
- Oxygenation The process of delivering sufficient oxygen to tissues to support aerobic metabolism and cellular respiration.
- Perfusion The delivery of oxygenated blood to body tissues; assessed through capillary refill, pulse quality, skin color, and temperature.