Ch22: Surgical Wound Care key terms

bandage

a strip or roll of cloth or other material that may be wound around part of the body in a variety of ways for multiple purposes

binder

bandage made of large pieces of material to fit a specific body part (ex: abdominal or breast binder)

dehiscence

partial or complete separation of a surgical incision or rupture of a wound closure

drainage

free flow or withdrawal of fluids from a wound or cavity by some sort of system such as urinary catheter or T-tubeused to prevent fluid accumulation and promote healing.

evisceration

the protrusion of internal organs through a disrupted wound or surgical incision, often requiring immediate medical attention.

exudate

fluid, cells, or other substances that have been slowly exuded or discharged from body cells or blood vessels through small pores or breaks in cell membrane

granulation

soft, pink, fleshy projection consisting of capillaries surrounded by fibrous collagen that slowly fills the incision during the process of healing

incision

surgical cut produced by a sharp instrument to create an opening into an organ or space in the body.

infectious process

condition caused by the invasion of the body by pathogenic microorganisms

inflammatory response

a tissue reaction to injury

irrigation

a gentle washing of an area with a stream of solution delivered through an irrigating syringe

primary intention

a wound that has been made surgically and has little tissue lost

skin edges are close together and minimal scarring results

puncture

a perforation that may be the result of an accidental or intentional action

purulent

producing or containing pus

sanguineous

pertaining to blood

secondary intention

healing that occurs when skin edges of the wound are not close together or when pus is formed

serosanguineous

thin, red exudate composed of serum and blood

serous

thin, watery exuddate composing the serum portion of blood

tertiary intention

healing that occurs by primary intention wirth delayed suturing of a wound in which two layers of granulation tissue are sutured together.

T tube

a tube inserted through the skin to provide drainage from a wound or cavity

vacuum-assisted closure (VAC)

an intervention used to provide wound healing and closure by withdrawing fluids from the cavity and pulling the wound closed by use of negative pressure

wound

an injury to body tissue

the injury may be intentional or accidental