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Respiratory rate: The number of breaths that an individual takes in one minute. The normal for adults is 14-18 breaths per minute.

Stroke Volume: The volume of blood that is ejected by the left ventricle in one beat.

Supine: A position in which the individual is lying on his/her back.

Syncope: Also known as fainting, it is a brief loss of consciousness due to a decreased amount of blood flow to the brain.

Systolic: When reading blood pressure, this is the top number. Systole refers to the contraction phase in which the blood is being forced out of the heart into the body for circulation. Normal adult systolic pressure is 115-120mmHg.

Tachycardia: An increased heart rate; typically refers to rates greater than 100 beats per minute in adults.

Tachypnea: An increase in the respiratory rate; typically refers to rates greater than 20 breaths per minute.

Temperature: A measure of heat within an individual. The normal range for adults is 97.80 ° F to 99.0 ° F.