Dictionary

Signs and symptoms

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

pain assessmentA nurse's organized gathering of information about a client's pain: where it is, how bad it is, what it feels like and what changes it.

pallorSkin or mucous membranes that look paler than is normal for that person.

palpitationThe feeling of your own heartbeat as pounding, racing, fluttering or skipping.

panic attackA sudden wave of intense fear that peaks within minutes.

papuleA small, solid, raised bump on the skin, less than 1 cm across, with no fluid inside.

paralysisLoss of the ability to move a part of the body, and sometimes loss of feeling in it.

paresthesiaAn abnormal feeling in the skin, such as tingling, prickling or "pins and needles," with nothing touching it.

Pastia linesLines of tiny red spots in skin creases, such as the inner elbow and armpit, that do not fade when pressed.

patterned injuryAn injury whose shape shows the outline of the object that caused it, such as a hand, a belt or a cord.

Pemberton signRedness of the face and swelling of the neck veins that appear when a person raises both arms above the head for about a minute.

perioralAround the mouth.

peripheral neuropathyDamage to the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord, most often in the feet and hands.

petechiaeTiny flat red or purple dots on the skin from small amounts of bleeding under the surface.

photophobiaDiscomfort or pain in the eyes caused by light; sensitivity to light.

pill-rolling tremorA rhythmic tremor in which the thumb rubs back and forth against the fingers, as if rolling a small pill.

pitting edemaSwelling in which pressing a finger into the skin leaves a dent that stays for a while after the finger is lifted.

pleuriticRelating to the pleura, the thin lining around the lungs; most often describes chest pain that worsens with breathing.

pleuritic chest painSharp chest pain that gets worse with a deep breath, coughing or sneezing.

poikilothermiaThe inability to keep a steady temperature, so the body or a body part takes on the temperature around it.

polydipsiaExtreme thirst, with drinking much more fluid than usual.

polyuriaPassing an abnormally large amount of urine, usually more than about 2.5 to 3 liters a day in an adult.

post-traumatic stress disorderA mental health condition that develops after a person lives through or sees a terrifying event.

productive coughA cough that brings up mucus or sputum from the lungs.

proteinuriaMore protein in the urine than normal.

pruritusItching of the skin.

psoas signLower abdominal pain when the right thigh is stretched backward or lifted against resistance.

pulmonary edemaA buildup of fluid in the air sacs and tissues of the lungs.

pulse pressureThe difference between the systolic and the diastolic blood pressure.

pulselessnessThe absence of a pulse that can be felt.

pulsus paradoxusA fall of more than 10 mm Hg in systolic blood pressure during breathing in.

purpuraPurple or red-brown patches on the skin caused by bleeding under the skin, which do not fade when pressed.

purulentContaining or made of pus: thick, cloudy fluid that may be yellow, green, tan or brown.

pusThick fluid made of white blood cells, dead tissue and germs that collects at a site of infection.

pustuleA small raised bump on the skin filled with pus.