Dictionary

Signs and symptoms

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

syncopeFainting: a short loss of consciousness from a drop in blood flow to the brain.

tachycardiaA heart rate faster than normal; in an adult, more than 100 beats per minute.

tachypneaA breathing rate faster than normal, above 20 breaths per minute in an adult.

tendernessPain or discomfort that is felt when an area of the body is pressed or touched.

tetanyInvoluntary muscle cramps and spasms that come from nerves firing too easily.

thrillA buzzing or vibrating feeling felt with the fingertips over a blood vessel or the heart.

Tinel signTingling or pins and needles felt where a nerve goes when the skin over that nerve is tapped.

tinglingA prickling, "pins and needles" feeling in the skin.

tinnitusA ringing, buzzing, roaring or hissing sound in the ears that does not come from outside.

tremorShaking of a part of the body, such as the hands, in small rhythmic movements that the person cannot control.

triadA group of three things, such as three signs that occur together.

Trousseau signA spasm of the hand and wrist that appears when a blood pressure cuff on the upper arm is kept inflated for a few minutes.

twitchingSmall, quick movements of a muscle or part of a muscle that happen without control.

ulcerAn open sore where the skin or the lining of an organ has broken down.

unconsciousnessA state in which a person is not awake or aware and cannot respond normally to voice, touch or what is around them.

unsteadinessA feeling of being off balance or likely to fall while standing or walking.

urgencyA sudden, strong need to pass urine that is hard to put off.

urinary incontinenceLeaking of urine that a person cannot control.

urinary retentionBeing unable to empty the bladder completely, or at all.

urticariaHives: raised, red, itchy welts on the skin.

ventricular tachycardiaA fast heart rhythm that starts in the lower chambers of the heart (the ventricles), usually over 100 beats per minute.

vertigoA false feeling that you or the room around you is spinning or moving.

vesicleA small, raised blister on the skin filled with clear fluid, less than 1 cm across.

visual hallucinationSeeing something that is not really there.

vocalizationAny sound a person makes with the voice, such as words, moans, cries or humming.

vomitingForcefully bringing up the contents of the stomach through the mouth.

water-hammer pulseA strong, bounding pulse that rises very quickly and then falls away suddenly.

weaknessA loss of muscle strength, so that moving a part of the body takes more effort or cannot be done.

weight lossA drop in body weight, whether planned or not.

weltA raised, red or pale, often itchy area on the skin; also called a wheal.

wheezingA high-pitched, whistling sound made as air moves through narrowed airways.

Whipple triadThree findings together: symptoms of low blood sugar, a low blood glucose measured at that time, and relief when the glucose is raised.

withdrawalThe physical and mental symptoms that occur when a person stops or cuts down a substance the body has come to depend on.