Okuzeka
Nursing vocabulary · Wound Care

Wound

Meaning in nursing, with examples

/wuːnd/nounCore term

In nursing, wound means: Damage to the skin and the tissue under it, caused for example by an injury, an operation or long pressure.

In Turkish: yara

How it is used

Nurses assess, clean, dress, pack and measure wounds and describe their size, colour, smell and exudate. Common types are surgical wounds, pressure ulcers, burns and leg ulcers. A wound can be healing well, infected, 'oozing' or 'gaping'.

Example sentences

  1. The wound is clean and dry, with no signs of infection.

  2. Can you measure the wound and take a photo for the notes?

Common collocations

  • clean a wound
  • surgical wound
  • wound infection
  • wound assessment
  • open wound
  • 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.
  • healTo become healthy again, especially for a wound or broken skin to close and repair itself.
  • pressure ulcerDamage to the skin and the tissue under it caused by long pressure, usually over bony areas such as the heels, hips or the base of the spine.
  • exudateFluid 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.
  • sutureA 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.

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.