Okuzeka
Nursing vocabulary · Wound Care

Exudate

Meaning in nursing, with examples

nounAdvanced term

In nursing, exudate means: Fluid that leaks out of a wound, made of serum, cells and sometimes pus; its amount, colour and smell help nurses judge how the wound is doing.

In Turkish: eksuda, yara akıntısı, sızıntı

How it is used

A wound-care word used in assessments and notes: 'low', 'moderate' or 'heavy exudate'; 'serous' (clear), 'haemoserous' (pink, with blood) or 'purulent' (containing pus). Dressings are chosen partly by how much exudate they can absorb. In speech nurses often just say 'ooze' or 'discharge'.

Example sentences

  1. There's a moderate amount of yellow exudate and a slight smell.

  2. We chose a foam dressing because the leg ulcer has heavy exudate.

Common collocations

  • heavy exudate
  • serous exudate
  • exudate level
  • manage exudate
  • woundDamage to the skin and the tissue under it, caused for example by an injury, an operation or long pressure.
  • dressingA covering put on a wound to protect it, absorb fluid and help it heal, such as a gauze pad, a film or a foam dressing.
  • dischargeThe point at which a patient officially leaves hospital to go home or to another place of care, and the planning that leads up to it.
  • healTo become healthy again, especially for a wound or broken skin to close and repair itself.

More terms: Wound Care

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.