Dictionary

Signs and symptoms

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

FACES scaleA pain scale of six drawn faces, from smiling to crying, that a person points to in order to show how much they hurt.

facial droopA sagging of one side of the face, often easiest to see at the corner of the mouth.

facial expressionThe look on a person's face made by the facial muscles, such as a smile, frown or grimace.

faintingA short loss of consciousness from a brief drop in blood flow to the brain, with a quick return to being awake.

fatigueA lasting feeling of tiredness or lack of energy that rest does not fully relieve.

febrile seizureA seizure in a young child brought on by a fever, without an infection of the brain or another known cause.

feverA body temperature higher than normal, usually 38 °C (100.4 °F) or above.

flatulenceGas in the stomach or intestines, or passing that gas through the anus.

flatusGas passed from the intestines through the anus.

fluctuationA rising and falling, or a change back and forth, such as in a lab value, a symptom or a client's alertness.

fluid retentionExtra fluid that the body holds in its tissues instead of removing it.

flushingA sudden warm reddening of the skin, usually of the face, neck or chest.

friction rubA grating or scratching sound, heard with a stethoscope, made when two inflamed layers of tissue move against each other.