Dictionary

Signs and symptoms

What a client reports and what a nurse observes, named the way charts and handoffs name them.

Dance signAn empty, hollow feeling in the lower right abdomen when it is pressed.

death rattleA noisy, gurgling or rattling sound with breathing in the last hours or days of life.

decerebrate posturingAn abnormal body position with the arms and legs held stiff and straight, the arms turned inward and the toes pointed.

decompensationThe point at which an organ or the body can no longer make up for a disease, so it stops working well enough.

decorticate posturingAn abnormal body position with the arms bent in toward the chest, the hands clenched into fists and the legs held stiff and straight.

deformityA body part that is out of its normal shape or position.

dehydrationA state in which the body has lost more water than it has taken in.

deliriumA sudden state of confusion and poor attention that comes and goes over hours or days.

delusionA firm, false belief that a person holds onto even when there is clear proof against it.

diaphoresisHeavy sweating, more than expected for the temperature or activity.

diarrheaLoose or watery stools, usually three or more times a day or more often than normal for the person.

diminished breath soundBreath sounds that are quieter or harder to hear than normal when listening to the lungs with a stethoscope.

diplopiaSeeing two images of a single object; double vision.

dischargeThe release of a client from a hospital or care setting; also, fluid that flows out of a body part.

distendedStretched out and enlarged by pressure from inside, such as from gas, fluid or urine.

distentionSwelling or stretching of a body part from pressure inside it.

distressSerious physical or emotional suffering or strain.

dizzinessA feeling of being lightheaded, unsteady or off balance, or that the room is spinning.

doll's eyesMovement of the eyes in the opposite direction when the head is turned, so the eyes seem to stay looking straight ahead.

drainageFluid that flows out of a wound, body cavity or tube, or the removal of that fluid.

droopTo sag or hang down lower than normal.

drowsinessFeeling sleepy or less alert than usual.

dry mouthA feeling that the mouth is too dry because there is not enough saliva.

dry skinSkin that lacks moisture and feels rough, flaky or tight; the medical word is xerosis.

dysarthriaSlurred, slow or hard-to-understand speech because the muscles used to speak are weak or poorly controlled.

dyskinesiaMovements of the body that a person cannot control, such as twisting, jerking or chewing motions.

dysmenorrheaPainful menstrual periods.

dyspareuniaPain during or after sexual intercourse.

dyspepsiaDiscomfort or burning in the upper belly, often with fullness, bloating or nausea after eating.

dysphagiaDifficulty swallowing.

dysphasiaDifficulty speaking or understanding spoken or written language, caused by damage to the brain.

dyspneaDifficult or labored breathing, or the feeling of not getting enough air.

dysrhythmiaA heart rhythm that is not normal: too fast, too slow or irregular.

dystoniaMuscle contractions that a person cannot control, which twist part of the body into an unusual position.

dysuriaPain, burning or discomfort when passing urine.