What it means
Profuse sweating, often leaving the skin wet and cool. It can come with fever and its breaking, low blood sugar, heart attack, shock, pain, anxiety, withdrawal from alcohol or opioids, menopause and some drugs. The skin is often described as "cool and clammy."
For the nurse
Find the cause: check vital signs, blood glucose and how the client feels. Sweating with chest pain, shortness of breath or low blood pressure needs a report right away. Keep skin and linens dry and replace lost fluids.
In a chart
"Client diaphoretic, pale, BP 88/52; glucose 52 mg/dL."
At a glance
| Everyday words | heavy sweating |
|---|---|
| Spanish | diaforesis, sudoración profusa |
| Also written | diaphoretic |
Related terms
hypoglycemia
A blood glucose level below normal, under 70 mg/dL.
myocardial infarction
Death of part of the heart muscle because its blood supply is blocked; a heart attack.
pallor
Skin or mucous membranes that look paler than is normal for that person.
fever
A body temperature higher than normal, usually 38 °C (100.4 °F) or above.