Which term describes excessive sweating, cold and clammy skin?

• A. Angina
• B. SpO2
• C. Orthostatic
• D. Diaphoresis

Answer: (D)

Excessive sweating is called diaphoresis. Diaphoresis happens when the sympathetic nervous system drives sweat glands to produce a lot of sweat, often with cool, pale, and clammy skin as a result of autonomic activation. This combination of sweating with cold, clammy skin is a classic signal that the body is under stress or in a compromised state, such as during a heart-related event, shock, or hypoglycemia. The other terms don’t describe this sign: angina is chest pain from reduced blood flow to the heart, SpO2 is just a percentage of how much oxygen is carried by the blood, and orthostatic refers to symptoms or blood pressure changes that occur with standing.