Word parts
What it means
Describes things away from the trunk or the center of a system. Peripheral pulses are felt in the limbs; a peripheral IV is a short catheter in an arm or hand vein; the peripheral nervous systempuh-RIF-er-ul NER-vus SIS-tumAll the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord, which link them to the rest of the body.Full entry is the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord; peripheral edema is swelling of the legs, ankles or hands.
For the nurse
A peripheral check looks at color, warmth, capillary refill, pulses, feeling and movement of the hands and feet.
At a glance
| Spanish | periférico |
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Related terms
edema
Swelling caused by extra fluid trapped in the body's tissues.
peripheral nervous system
All the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord, which link them to the rest of the body.
extremity
An arm or a leg.
pulse
The throb of an artery felt with each heartbeat, used to count the heart rate and judge blood flow.
distal
Farther from the center of the body or from where a part attaches.