Dictionary

Signs and symptoms

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

hyperactivityMore physical activity and restlessness than is usual for a person's age, with trouble staying still.

hyperpigmentationPatches of skin that are darker than the skin around them.

hypertensionBlood pressure that stays higher than normal, at or above 130/80 mm Hg by current US guidelines.

hypertensive crisisA severe rise in blood pressure, generally to a systolic above 180 or a diastolic above 120 mm Hg.

hyperthermiaA body temperature that is higher than normal because the body takes in or makes more heat than it can lose.

hyperventilationBreathing faster or deeper than the body needs, so too much carbon dioxide is breathed out.

hypoactiveLess active than normal.

hypoglycemiaA blood glucose level below normal, under 70 mg/dL.

hypotensionBlood pressure lower than normal, generally below 90/60 mm Hg in an adult.

hypothermiaA body temperature that has fallen below the normal range.

hypoventilationBreathing that is too slow or too shallow to remove enough carbon dioxide from the body.

hypoxemiaA level of oxygen in the blood below normal.

hypoxiaA lower than normal level of oxygen in the body's tissues.

incontinenceLoss of control over the bladder or bowel, so urine or stool leaks out without the person meaning it to.

indurationAn area of tissue that has become firm or hard, felt by touch.

inflammationThe body's protective response to injury or infection, with redness, heat, swelling, pain and sometimes loss of function.

insomniaTrouble falling asleep, staying asleep or getting restful sleep.

intercostal retractionA sinking in of the skin between the ribs each time the person breathes in.

intermittentStarting and stopping; happening at intervals rather than all the time.

intoxicationA state in which alcohol, a drug or a poison changes how a person thinks, acts or how the body works.

intracranial pressureThe pressure inside the skull, made by the brain, the blood and the fluid around the brain.

irritabilityA state of being easily annoyed, upset or made angry; in babies, fussiness and crying that is hard to soothe.

irritableEasily annoyed, upset or angered; in a baby, fussy and hard to calm.

irritationSoreness, redness, itching or burning of a body part, caused by something that rubs it or bothers it.

itchingAn uncomfortable feeling in the skin that makes a person want to scratch.

Janeway lesionsSmall, flat, painless red or reddish-brown spots on the palms or the soles.

jaundiceYellow color of the skin, the whites of the eyes and other tissues from too much bilirubin in the blood.

jugular vein distentionNeck veins that stay full and bulging when the client sits with the head raised at 30 to 45 degrees.

Kehr signPain at the tip of the left shoulder that is referred there from the abdomen.

Kernig signPain or resistance in the back of the thigh when the knee is straightened while the hip is bent at a right angle.

knee painPain felt in or around the knee joint.

Koplik spotsTiny white or bluish-white spots on a red base on the inside of the cheeks.

Kussmaul respirationsA breathing pattern of deep, rapid, labored breaths at an even pace.

lacerationA cut or tear in the skin or other tissue, often with jagged edges.

laryngospasmA sudden, involuntary closing of the vocal cords that partly or fully blocks air from entering the lungs.

lesionAn area of tissue that has been damaged or has changed from normal, such as a sore, wound, lump or spot.

lethargyA state of being very drowsy, slow and hard to keep awake, or having little energy.

Levine signA clenched fist held against the chest by a person describing chest pain.

Lhermitte signAn electric-shock feeling that runs down the back, and sometimes into the arms or legs, when the neck is bent forward.

lightheadednessA feeling of being faint or woozy, as if about to pass out.

localizedLimited to one area of the body, rather than spread through it.

low back painPain in the lower part of the back, between the bottom of the ribs and the buttocks.

lymphadenopathySwollen or enlarged lymph nodes.

malaiseA general feeling of being unwell, uneasy or weak, without one clear cause.

maniaA period of unusually high energy, mood and activity that is clearly different from the person's usual self.

melenaBlack, sticky stool that looks like tar.

menorrhagiaMenstrual periods that are very heavy or last longer than usual.

mental statusA person's state of mind at a given time: how alert they are, what they know and how they think, speak and behave.

miliaTiny, white, raised bumps on the skin, most often on a newborn's nose, chin and cheeks.

miosisNarrowing (constriction) of the pupil of the eye.