Terminology

Question 1

abrasion

Answer 1

(uh-bray-jin)

superficial, partial-thickness wound with little bleeding, caused by rubbing or scraping the epidermis

Question 2

approximated

Answer 2

(uh-prok-sih-may-ted)

closed, with the wound’s edges touching each other

Question 3

arterial insufficiency

Answer 3

(ar-teer-ee-uhl in-suh-fish-en-see)

inadequate blood flow through the arteries

Question 4

atrophy

Answer 4

decrease in size, wasting away, or progressive decline of a body part or tissue

Question 5

bulla

Answer 5

(bul-uh)

blister, greater than 1 cm in diameter that is filled with clear fluid, as seen with burns

Question 6

burn

Answer 6

(bern)

thermal injury to tissues

Question 7

carcinoma

Answer 7

(kar-sih-no-muh)
malignant (cancerous) growth made up of epithelial cells that tends to infiltrate surrounding tissue thus causing metastasis

Question 8

contusion

Answer 8

(con-too-jin)
injury to tissues with skin discoloration from blood seepage just under the skin and without breakage of the skin; a bruise

Question 9

cyst

Answer 9

(sist)

abnormal, closed epithelium-lined sac that contains a liquid or a semisolid substance

Question 10

debride

Answer 10

(dih-breed) 
remove devitalized (dead) tissue from a wound

Question 11

decubitus ulcer

Answer 11

(dih-kew-bit-us ul-ser)

somewhat outdated term for pressure ulcer, impaired skin integrity and/or formation of a wound due to prolonged pressure

Question 12

dehiscence

Answer 12

(dee-hiss-sens)

opening of the edges of a surgical wound with partial or total separation of wound layers

Question 13

dermatitis

Answer 13

(der-mah-tie-tihs)

inflammation of the skin

Question 14

dermis

Answer 14

(der-mis)

layer of the skin above the subcutaneous fat, composed of collagen and elastic fibers

Question 15

drainage

Answer 15

(drane-ij)

seepage or withdrawal of fluids from a wound or cavity

Question 16

eccymosis

Answer 16

(ek-ee-mow-sis)

hemorrhagic spot, or bruise, caused by bleeding under the skin and irregularly formed in blue, purple, or yellow patches

Question 17

edema

Answer 17

(uh-dee-muh)
accumulation of excess fluid, causing swelling in the cells, in interstitial spaces of tissues, or in potential spaces inside the body

Question 18

erythema

Answer 18

(er-ih-thee-muh)

reddening of the skin caused by congestion of the capillaries

Question 19

eschar

Answer 19

(es-kar)

slough (hard crust or mass of dead tissue) produced by a thermal burn, a corrosive application, or gangrene

Question 20

exudate

Answer 20

(eks-you-date)
material such as fluid with a high content of protein and cellular debris that has escaped from blood vessels and has been deposited in tissues or on tissue surfaces, usually as a result of inflammation

Question 21

fistula

Answer 21

(fiss-chew-luh)

any abnormal tubelike passage in the body

Question 22

granulation

Answer 22

(gran-you-lay-shun)

development of red, moist tissue made up of new blood vessels, indicating the progression of wound healing

Question 23

hematoma

Answer 23

(he-ma-toe-ma)
localized collection of blood underneath the tissues, appearing as a swelling or mass often characterized by a bluish discoloration

Question 24

inflammation

Answer 24

(in-fla-may-shun)
protective response occurring in reaction to any type of bodily injury or destruction of tissues, characterized by redness and swelling and sometimes serous exudate

Question 25

irrigate

Answer 25

(ear-ih-gate)

wash out with fluid

Question 26

keloid

Answer 26

(kee-loyd)

enlarged, elevated scar, due to excess collagen

Question 27

laceration

Answer 27

(las-er-aye-shun)

cut; torn wound

Question 28

maceration

Answer 28

(mas-er-ay-shun)

softening or dissolution of tissue after lengthy exposure to fluid

Question 29

macule

Answer 29

(mak-yule)

discoloration of the skin, less than 1 cm in diameter and not raised above the surface

Question 30

pus

Answer 30

(pus)

yellowish liquid product of inflammation or infection

Question 31

pustule

Answer 31

(pus-jule)

small, elevated skin lesion that contains pus

Question 32

rash

Answer 32

(rash)
skin eruption of small, raised lesions that are typically red in color, often caused by allergies or other inflammatory processes

Question 33

scar

Answer 33

(skar)

mark that remains on the skin after a wound has healed

Question 34

serous

Answer 34

(seer-us)

wound drainage presenting as clear, watery plasma

Question 35

shear

Answer 35

(sheer)
force exerted parallel to the skin resulting both from gravity and from resistance (friction) between the patient and a surface, such as that created when a patient slumps in a chair

Question 36

skin tear

Answer 36

(skin tare)

a traumatic wound resulting from separation of the epidermis from the dermis

Question 37

slough

Answer 37

(slew or sluff)

mass of soft, stringy dead tissue that can be white or yellow in appearance

Question 38

stasis

Answer 38

(stay-sis)
stagnation (stopping) of the flow of body fluid, most commonly used to describe the impaired flow of blood back to the heart from the peripheral circulation (venous stasis)

Question 39

venous insufficiency

Answer 39

(vee-nis in-suh-fish-en-see)
inadequacy of the venous valves and impairment of venous return from the lower limbs (venous stasis), often with edema and sometimes with skin ulcers (particularly at the ankles)

Question 40

vesicle

Answer 40

(ves-ih-kul)

small blister that contains liquid

Question 41

wheal

Answer 41

(uh-dee-muh)
accumulation of excess fluid, causing swelling in the cells, in interstitial spaces of tissues, or in potential spaces inside the body