Question | Answer |
abrasion | rubbing or scraping of the skin or mucous membranes |
abscess | localized collection of pus that may be located under the skin or deep within the body |
absorbable suture | surgical stitch that is left in the body; will absorb |
acute | having a rapid onset & severe symptoms, usually subsiding within a relatively short period of time |
antiseptic | substance that renders microorganisms harmless |
approximation | bringing together skin or wound edges |
asepsis | absence of contaminated materials |
avulsion | tissue forcibly torn away or separated from the body |
bacteriocide | agent that destroys pathogenic bacteria |
biopsy | small sample of tissue excised from the body for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes |
carrier | unaffected person who can transmit infection to another person |
caustic | substance that burns or destroys organic tissue |
chronic | persisting for a long period of time |
coagulum | a blood clot |
contamination | soiled through contact with nonsterile materials |
contusion | a bruise |
curettage | scraping a body cavity with a curette |
cyst | sac of fluid or semisolid material located in or under the skin |
debridement | surgical removal of damaged, diseased, or contaminated tissue |
disease | a definite pathologic process having a descriptive set of signs & symptoms |
disinfection | destruction of pathogens by chemical or physical means |
ethyl chloride | topical anesthetic |
fistula | abnormal, tube-like passage within the body tissues |
fomite | inanimate object |
furuncle | boil |
general anesthetic | medication given to a patient to produce unconsciousness |
hematoma | localized collection of blood under the skin |
hemostat | instrument used to clamp blood vessels |
incision | wound with neat, clean edges |
infection | invasion & multiplication of microorganisms in body tissues causing injury & damage to the tissues |
infiltration | injecting medication into the skin |
iodoform gauze | slender strips of gauze covered with iodine; used as a wick to drain infection |
irrigation | flushing of a cavity or wound with a solution |
laceration | wound with jagged, irregular edges |
lesion | wound, sore, ulcer, tumor, or any traumatic tissue damage that causes a lack of tissue continuity or loss of function |
lidocaine | local anesthetic |
littauer suture scissors | scissors used to remove sutures |
local anesthetic | medication which produces a loss of sensation in a localized area |
medical asepsis | aseptic cleaning after use in the body |
microorganisms | microscopic living organisms |
needle holders | instruments used to place sutures in the body |
nonabsorbable suture | surgical stitch that must be removed from the body |
pathogens | disease producing microorganisms |
permeable | able to be passed or soaked through |
polyps | tumors frequently found in mucous membranes |
puncture wound | wound made from the piercing of the skin with a pointed object |
resident bacteria | bacteria found under fingernails, in hair follicles, & in the openings of sebaceous glands or deeper layers of the skin |
sanitization | reducing the number of microorganisms to a safe level |
sclerostomy | formation of an opening into the sclera |
sebaceous cyst | blockage of an oil gland causing a cyst |
spore | a thick walled cell formed within bacteria; capable of releasing a toxin |
sterile field | any surface containing sterile items |
sterilization | complete destruction of all forms of microbial life |
suppuration | production of purulent material |
surgical asepsis | sterilization before use in the body |
tissue forceps | instruments with teeth, used to grasp tissue |
toxin | a poisonous substance produced by pathogenic bacteria |
transient bacteria | surface bacteria that are introduced by fomites & remain with you a short time |
vector | fleas, mice, other rodents |
virulent | any infectious agent that produces pathogenic effects |