Medical term for today (the return!)

[mellicious]

This one's just a bit icky, but not too bad. (Anything involving wound care is gonna be relatively nasty, let's face it.)

I picked this because I've already had to look it up twice, so I figured this would help me remember it. Here's the first definition, from my textbook:

dehiscence
Surgical inclusion separates and there is a loss of approximation of wound edges.


Well, gee, I guess no wonder I didn't remember - having read the second definition, I have a vague idea what that means, but only a vague one.


So here's the second version (Stedman's Medical Dictionary):

dehiscence
a bursting open, splitting, or gaping along natural or sutured lines.


which makes a great deal more sense. Silly textbook.

Comments

[platypus]

That reminds me of the time I had the stitches from my mole removal taken out too early... I have a nasty scar to show for it now.

[anjea.livejournal.com]

Yeah, wound care stuff gets icky. I have to admit a weird fascination, though, with flipping open a patient's chart and seeing all sorts of crazy pictures. :D

[profrobert.livejournal.com]

The cat in your icon looks like he could use some de-hiss-ence. [ducks]