Page 73 - Wound Care at End of Life Content: A Guide for Hospice Professionals - DEMO

Term Description
Granulation tissue The pink to red, moist, fragile capillary tissue that fills a full‐thickness wound during the proliferative (cell
division) phase of healing.
Hydrophilic Attracting moisture
Maceration Softening of tissue by soaking in fluids; looks like “dishpan hands.”
MRSA Methicillin‐Resistant Staphylococcus aureus
MSSA Methicillin‐Susceptible Staphylococcus aureus
Necrotic Dead; avascular, nonviable
Necrotic tissue Dead, black or yellow tissue; when soft is referred to as slough, when hard is referred to as eschar.
Occlusive wound No liquids or gases can be transmitted through the dressing material.
dressings
Pallor Lack of natural color; paleness
Partial‐thickness Wounds that extend through the epidermis and may involve the dermis; these wounds heal by re‐
epithelialization.
Pus Thick fluid composed of leukocytes, bacteria, and cellular debris.
Scab Crust of dried blood and serum.
Semi‐occlusive No liquids are transmitted through dressing naturally; variable level of gases can be transmitted through
dressing dressing material; most dressings are semi‐occlusive.
Shear Sliding of skin over subcutaneous tissues and bones, causing a kink in cutaneous capillary that may lead to
ischemia.
Sinus tract A course or pathway which can extend in any direction from the wound base; results in dead space with
potential for abscess formation. Also referred to as tunneling.
Skin stripping/Skin The inadvertent removal of the epidermis, with or without the dermis, by mechanical means; precipitated
tears by trauma, such as tape removal, bumping into furniture, or assisting with repositioning.
Slough Deposits of dead white cells, dead bacteria, etc, in the wound bed, yellow in appearance; soft, moist,
avascular/devitalized tissue; may be loose or firmly adherent.
Tunneling Path of tissue destruction occurring in any direction from the surface or edge of a wound; results in dead
space; involves small portion of wound edge; may be referred to as a sinus tract
Undermine Skin edges of a wound that has lost supporting tissue under intact skin.

VRE Vancomycin‐Resistant Enterococcus

Chart content adapted from:
th
 Bryant RA, Nix DP, eds. Acute & Chronic Wounds: Current Management Concepts. 4 ed. St Louis,
MO:Elsevier/Mosby. © 2012
 Simonsen H, Coutts P, van den Bogert‐Janssen, Knight S. Assessing and managing chronic wounds:
wound care reference guide. Coloplast A/S, 2007

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