Vital Signs Measurement Flashcards
7 cards from real CNA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Vital Signs Measurement flashcards as text
A CNA notices a patient's nail beds are bluish when applying a pulse oximeter. This finding is called:
Answer: Cyanosis
Cyanosis is a bluish discoloration of the skin or mucous membranes due to low oxygen levels.
When should the CNA NOT take a rectal temperature?
Answer: When the patient has had recent rectal surgery
Rectal temperature is contraindicated after rectal surgery, in patients with rectal disorders, or those on blood thinners.
A patient's pulse is described as 'thready.' This means the pulse is:
Answer: Weak and difficult to feel
A thready pulse is weak, thin, and difficult to palpate, often indicating low cardiac output.
Which of the following is the correct technique when counting respirations?
Answer: Count after finishing pulse measurement without informing the patient
Respirations are counted without the patient's knowledge because awareness causes patients to alter their breathing pattern.
A blood pressure cuff that is too LARGE for the patient's arm will most likely result in:
Answer: A falsely low reading
A cuff that is too large produces a falsely low blood pressure reading because more pressure is needed to compress a larger area.
The diastolic blood pressure represents:
Answer: Pressure in the arteries between heartbeats
Diastolic pressure is the pressure in the arteries when the heart is at rest between contractions.
A tympanic thermometer measures temperature in which location?
Answer: In the ear canal
A tympanic thermometer uses infrared technology to measure heat from the tympanic membrane inside the ear canal.