- abrasion
- an area damaged by scraping
- acute radiation syndrome (ARS)
- an acute illness related to full-body exposure to high levels of radiation
- acute wound
- a wound that occurs suddenly and progresses through expected stages of healing
- angiogenesis
- a process where capillaries grow across the wound, increasing blood supply and oxygen
- arthrofibrosis
- scar tissue formed around a joint during the healing process, which limits range of motion
- autolytic debridement
- the process of using occlusive dressings to enhance the body’s own defense mechanisms to liquefy or soften necrotic tissue
- avulsion
- a forcible tearing off of skin or another part of the body
- Bates-Jensen Wound Assessment Tool (BWAT)
- an assessment tool to evaluate wound status and healing; it measures thirteen wound characteristics
- blanching
- the temporary whitening or lightening of the skin around the wound site upon applying pressure
- Braden Scale
- an assessment tool that evaluates the relative risk of a patient developing skin breakdown and pressure injuries. The scores can be used to tailor pressure injury prevention interventions to at-risk patients
- burn
- an injury to the skin caused by thermal, electrical, chemical, or electromagnetic energy
- burn shock
- a condition in which the circulatory system becomes dysfunctional and unable to compensate for the loss of blood, plasma, and fluid, even with aggressive fluid replacement
- chemical burn
- a burn caused by the reaction of human skin to toxic chemicals
- chronic wound
- a wound in which no healing occurs for at least three months
- closed wound
- a wound that does not have a break in the skin and occurs under the skin’s surface
- cognition
- the mental processes that take place in the brain such as thinking, language, learning, memory, perception, and attention
- collagen
- a whitish protein substance that adds flexible strength to the wound
- contusion
- a region of injured tissue or skin in which blood capillaries have been ruptured
- debridement
- the removal of slough or necrotic tissue and foreign material by various methods
- decontamination
- the removal of residual chemical or radiological particles
- desiccation
- unintentional wound or tissue dehydration
- diabetic neuropathy
- nerve damage that causes numbing sensations
- electrical burn
- a burn that occurs when an electrical source meets skin and transfers energy, damaging local tissue
- enzymatic debridement
- the application of commercially prepared enzymes that accelerate the body’s autolytic process (i.e., cell breakdown by enzymes contained in the affected tissue)
- epibole
- rolled or curled-under wound edges that slow or stop the wound-healing process
- epidermis
- the outermost layer of the skin consisting of epithelial cells
- epithelialization
- the development of new epidermis; the growth of skin cells over skin and wound surface; healing to close a wound
- erythema
- a change in skin color due to a change in blood flow
- eschar
- dead tissue that forms over healthy skin and then, over time, falls off or sheds
- excoriation
- the loss of the superficial layers of the skin, also known as a denuded area
- exudate
- a liquid that is secreted from a wound
- fistula
- an abnormal passage from one internal organ or vessel to another or an internal organ or vessel to the outside of the body
- fluctuance
- a tense area of skin with a wave-like or boggy feeling upon palpation
- fluid resuscitation
- the administration of IV fluids to ensure adequate intravascular fluid
- foul purulent
- a thick yellow to green exudate with odor
- fourth-degree burn
- a burn that involves everything from the epidermis down into bone or muscle
- friction
- a force created by two surfaces rubbing against each other
- frostbite
- a type of burn in which the water in tissues freeze and cause deep tissue injuries and necrosis
- full-thickness (third-degree) burn
- a burn involving all of the epidermis, dermis, and some of the subcutaneous fat and deeper structures
- granulation tissue
- delicate, new, reddish connective tissue and tiny blood vessels that bleed easily but provide the framework for scar tissue development
- hematoma
- a localized collection of blood under the skin that may appear reddish blue with swelling
- hemostasis
- the cessation of bleeding
- hypoproteinemia
- abnormally low amounts of serum protein from the diet
- hypovolemic shock
- a type of shock due to decreased fluid volume in blood vessels that impacts the blood flow and transport of oxygen to organs and tissues
- incision
- a surgical cut made in skin or flesh
- induration
- a thickened or hardened area
- inhalation injury
- an injury caused by breathing in particulates, such as heat and smoke from fires, or chemical burning of upper airways
- intentional wound
- a planned wound; the result of a treatment or therapy
- laceration
- a deep cut or tear in the skin or flesh
- liquefaction necrosis
- death of body tissues
- localized wound healing factor
- a factor that affects wound healing directly (i.e., desiccation, maceration, trauma, pressure, excessive bleeding and edema, and infection)
- maceration
- the softening of tissues caused by prolonged wetting or soaking
- mechanical debridement
- the application of external physical force to remove debris or necrotic tissue
- Montgomery strap
- a tie that attaches to an adhesive backing that holds a dressing in place
- NPO
- nothing by mouth
- open wound
- a break in the skin or mucous membranes, caused either intentionally or unintentionally
- osteomyelitis
- a bone infection
- palmar method
- a strategy for determining TBSA of small burns
- Parkland burn formula
- a commonly used formula for determining the amount of fluid resuscitation needed for patients who have been burned
- partial-thickness (second-degree) burn
- a burn involving the epidermis and some portion of the dermis
- penetration
- a wound caused by objects that pierce the skin and lacerate or damage adjacent tissue
- phagocytosis
- the movement of leukocytes and macrophages into the interstitial space to ingest bacteria and cellular debris
- pressure injury
- a localized ischemic lesion of the skin and underlying tissue caused by external pressure that impairs blood and lymph flow
- primary intention healing
- a type of healing in which the wound edges have been approximated with little to no tissue loss and show formation of nominal granulation tissue and scarring
- puncture
- a wound made by a pointed object
- purulent
- pus; tan to yellow exudate
- Rule of Nines
- a strategy for determining TBSA of large burns
- sanguineous
- relating to bloody exudate
- secondary intention healing
- a type of healing in which extensive wounds that have significant tissue loss make approximating edges difficult or not a good option
- serosanguineous
- relating to a mix of serous fluid and blood in exudate
- serous
- relating to thin, watery, clear exudate
- shear
- the sliding of one tissue layer over the other
- skin grafting
- transplanting a piece of healthy skin from one area of the body to another
- slough
- a nonviable layer of dead tissue that is a stringy, moist, and yellow, tan, gray, green, or brown
- stable eschar
- an area of eschar on the skin that is adherent, dry, and intact without fluctuance
- superficial (first-degree) burn
- a burn involving only the epidermis
- superinfection
- a secondary infection that is unrelated to the original infection and results from opportunistic colonization after immunosuppression
- Surgical Site Event Risk Assessment (SSERA) model
- an assessment tool to determine the relative risk of a patient developing a surgical site infection after a surgical procedure
- systemic wound healing factor
- factors that occur throughout the body and are not related to the wound itself (e.g., age, venous insufficiency, poor oxygenation, obesity, diabetes, medications, and smoking or alcohol use)
- tertiary intention healing
- delayed primary intention healing where the wound is left open for three to five days to allow edema or infection to resolve or to allow any exudate to drain
- thermal burn
- a burn related to temperature
- tissue necrosis
- tissue death
- total body surface area (TBSA)
- percentage of the body’s surface
- trauma
- injury caused by a blunt or blow force
- tunneling
- erosion in channels beneath intact skin surrounding a wound
- ulcer
- an open sore caused by poor blood flow
- undermining
- erosion beneath the skin’s surface beyond visible edges
- unintentional wound
- a wound from an unexpected trauma
- Wagner Ulcer Classification System
- an assessment tool to describe severity of diabetic foot ulcers
- wound
- an injury that causes a disruption of normal skin or tissue integrity
- wound thickness
- the amount of skin breakdown, fat exposure, and bone and/or muscle involvement in a wound