Nursing Terminology

QuickStudy Laminated Reference Guide

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• Publisher: QuickStudy Reference Guides
• Year: 2009
• Print ISBN: 9781423208617
• eBook ISBN: 9781423237891
• Topic: Medicine
• Subtopic: Medical Theory, Practice & Reference

All professional nurses know that an in-depth knowledge of tools, tests, equipment and products connected to their field is crucial to providing the best-possible care to clients. Our 3-panel (6-page) guide covers these elements in a comprehensive, fluff-free style that is sure to be useful to veteran nurses or those just starting out.

SKIN & WOUND CARE

Skin Care

• Cleanser: A skin care product that is used to remove dead skin cells, oil, dirt and other types of pollutants from the skin surface. Using a cleanser to remove dirt is considered to be a better alternative to bar soap, because bar soap has a high pH (in the area of 9 to 10), whereas the pH of skin cleansers is closer to the skin’s natural pH of 5.5.
• Lotion: A low- to medium-viscosity, topical preparation intended for application to unbroken skin. Most lotions are oil-in-water emulsions using a substance such as cetearyl alcohol to keep the emulsion together, but water-in-oil lotions are also formulated. Lotions are usually applied to external skin with bare hands, a clean cloth, cotton wool or gauze; on the other hand, creams and gels have a higher viscosity, and creams and gels are usually applied with one’s fingers or palms.
• Moisture barrier cream: Provides protection against urine and fecal matter while moisturizing and soothing reddened, irritated skin.
• Ointment: A viscous, semisolid preparation used topically on a variety of body surfaces, including the skin and the mucus membranes of the eye, vagina, anus and nose. An ointment may or may not be medicated.
• Protective skin barriers: A liquid barrier film that dries quickly to form a breathable, transparent protective film on the skin. Forms a film or “second skin” that protects the skin from exposure to wetness, urine acid or fecal enzymes. Some skin barriers contain calamine, aloe vera and vitamins A, D and E to promote healing of fragile or irritated skin, while others contain antimicrobial properties to protect against infection and reduce odor. Designed to protect intact or damaged skin from urine, feces, other body fluids/secretions, tape trauma and friction.
• Skin paste: Thick, rich paste applied to protect and condition sensitive, excoriated, inflamed skin resulting from contact with caustic diarrhea or enzymatic drainage. Commonly used for severe incontinence.
• Soap: An anionic surfactant used in conjunction with water for washing and cleaning. Soap, consisting of sodium (soda ash) or potassium (potash) salts of fatty acids is obtained by reacting fat with lye in a process known as saponification. The fats are hydrolyzed by the base, yielding alkali salts of fatty acids (crude soap) and glycerol. Many cleaning agents today are technically not soaps, but detergents, which are less expensive and easier to manufacture.

Wound Care Drain: A device for removing fluid from a cavity or wound. A drain is typically a tube or wick.

• Constant suction drain: In this type of drain, constant suction removes fluid.
  • Bulb drain or Jackson-Pratt drain (JP drain): A drainage device used to pull excess fluid from the body by constant suction. The device consists of a flexible plastic bulb (shaped something like a hand grenade) that connects to an internal plastic drainage tube. Removing the plug and squeezing the bulb removes air, which creates a lower air pressure within the drainage tubing.
  • Spring evacuator drain (Hemovac): A three-spring evacuator drain container connected to an internal plastic drainage tube. Removes drainage by exerting constant suction. Provides reliable suction for surgical cases with larger amounts of drainage.
• Gravity drain: A conduit that allows the gravity flow of fluid.
  • Penrose drain: Consists of a soft rubber tube that is placed in a wound area in order to prevent the buildup of fluid.
  • T-tube: Used following open gallbladder procedure to drain bile. Tube allows bile to drain out of the client’s body into a small pouch, known as a bile bag. Before removing the T-tube, an X-ray is taken to make sure that the duct has healed and no stones remain.

Dressing: Any material used for covering and protecting a wound.

• Absorptive dressing: A bulky dressing designed to absorb drainage from a wound.
• Ace wrap: Rubber-reinforced cotton for wrapping sprains and strains. Available in a variety of sizes, all of which can be laundered and reused.
• Adhesive bandage: Bandage consisting of plain absorbent gauze held in place by a plastic or fabric tape coated with adhesive.
• Antiseptic dressing: Gauze impregnated with antiseptic material.
• Compression bandage: A bandage designed to provide pressure to a particular area (i.e., a pressure dressing) or a bandage that stops the flow of blood from an artery by applying pressure.
• Drain sponge: A non-woven, highly absorptive dressing which has been pre-cut to fit around most drains, tubes and catheters.
• Elastoplast: An elastic adhesive bandage for covering cuts, wounds or incisions.
• Foam dressing: A highly absorbent dressing, which allows less-frequent changing of dressings and less maceration of surrounding tissues. Used for heavily exudating wounds (especially after debridement or desloughing, when drainage peaks) and for deep cavity wounds or weeping ulcers.
• Gauze: A thin, loosely woven surgical dressing, usually made of bleached cotton cloth.
• Hydrocolloid (DuoDERM®) dressing: An opaque dressing used to protect wounds from contamination and to provide a moist wound-healing environment. Hydrocolloids were initially utilized in health care as reliable, skin-friendly adhesives, useful for securing colostomy appliances to the client’s abdomen. It is biodegradable, non-breathable and adheres to the skin, so no separate taping is needed.
• Kerlix gauze bandage roll: Prewashed, fluff-dried 100% woven gauze with unique crinkle-weave pattern for loft and bulk. Provides fast-wicking action, superior aeration and excellent absorbency. Self-adherent and conforming gauze roll bandage perfect for holding dressings in place.
• Laparotomy pad or abdominal (ABD) pad: Sterile all-purpose bandaging and wound cleaning item that is flexible, absorbent and breathable. Made from several layers of gauze folded into a rectangular shape and used as a sponge for packing off the viscera in abdominal operations. Used for controlling bleeding and preventing contamination of large wounds.
• Montgomery strap: Facilitates quick dressing changes and eliminates the need to remove and re-apply tape during a dressing change. Consists of a 7" x 11" breathable strap with reinforced eyelets that are tied together with twill ties. They are most commonly used when a wound requires a large, bulky dressing that requires frequent changes.
• Non-stick pad: Sterile gauze pad with porous membrane allows fluids to be absorbed, yet will not adhere to ...

Table of contents

• general tools & equipment
• documentation & charting
• assessment techniques, tools & equipment
• syringes
• lab tests
• catheters & ports
• feeding tools & equipment
• respiratory tools & equipment
• skin & wound care
• circulatory care
• hospital terminology