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Nursing vocabulary · Wound Care

Suture

Meaning in nursing, with examples

/ˈsuːtʃər/nounCommon term

In nursing, suture means: A stitch or a line of stitches that holds the edges of a wound or surgical cut together while it heals; also the thread used for this.

In Turkish: dikiş, sütür

How it is used

A clinical word; patients usually say 'stitches'. Nurses check suture lines, remove sutures on the day in the discharge plan and note whether the wound edges are together. Other closures include staples, glue and adhesive strips. 'Suture' is also a verb: 'The cut was sutured in A&E.'

Example sentences

  1. Her sutures can be taken out at the GP practice in ten days.

  2. The suture line looks a bit red and there's some discharge at the lower end.

Common collocations

  • remove sutures
  • suture line
  • dissolvable sutures
  • take out the sutures
  • incisionA cut made through the skin and tissue by a surgeon during an operation.
  • woundDamage to the skin and the tissue under it, caused for example by an injury, an operation or long pressure.
  • healTo become healthy again, especially for a wound or broken skin to close and repair itself.
  • 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.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Wound Care

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