There are quite a few technical terms, some of which can be difficult to understand.
Find out what they mean in this glossary from A to Z.
A | Acute | An illness with a quick onset |
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Acute stress reaction | Collective term for non-typical reactions triggered by a past or current event. | |
Adhesion | Adherence | |
Albumin | Major protein in blood plasma | |
Allograft | Transplantation from one individual to another of the same species | |
Amnion | Egg membrane, innermost layer of the placenta surrounding the embryo | |
Analgesic | Painkiller | |
Anaesthesia | Insensitivity to pain induced by a physician | |
Arthrodesis | Surgical artificial stiffening of a joint | |
Artificial coma | A medically induced loss of consciousness. In this condition the patient can no longer be woken by strong external stimuli such as repeated pain stimuli | |
Atrophic scar | This is what a sunken scar resulting from poor wound healing is called. It results from an inadequate production of connective tissue fibres. | |
Atrophy | Wasting away of tissue as a result of a decrease in cell size and cell count | |
Autologous transplant | A transplant using the body's own cells, i.e. the donor and recipient are the same person |
B | Barbiturate | Sedative, but also an anaesthetic |
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Basal layer | Layer of the epidermis where new cells are continuously produced | |
Biopsy | Collection of a tissue sample | |
Bobath | Special neurological treatment method used in physiotherapy | |
Brachial plexus | Nerve supply of the arm and the shoulder muscles originating from the cervical vertebrae (C5-T1) | |
Burn | Injury by fire | |
Burn severity | Depth of the burn |
C | Camouflage | Special makeup technique for covering skin irregularities such as scars |
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Capillary | Extremely small blood vessels | |
Capsular contracture | Contraction of a joint capsule, which leads to a restriction in movement | |
Case history | Establishing the patient’s prior medical history | |
Cervical | Neck area | |
Chronic | Persistent, ongoing, long-lasting, opposite of acute | |
Circular burn | Burn that extends around the body | |
Clinical | Medical treatment | |
Collagen | Protein that forms the elastic fibres in connective tissue | |
Compliance | Establishment of a relationship (with positive or negative course) | |
Compression garment | Pressure bandages in the form of a shirt, stocking, glove, etc. | |
Contamination | Infection, soiling | |
Contracture | Permanent shortening of muscles, tendons, or joint ligaments leading to stiffening | |
Contraindication | Situation where a drug, procedure or surgery may be harmful | |
Corium | Dermis | |
Correlate | Be closely connected | |
Cryotherapy | Treatment with cold | |
Cutis | Combined term for the epidermis and dermis | |
Cutis | Epidermis + dermis |
D | Debridement | Cleaning of a wound |
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Defect | Abnormal function | |
Dermabrasion | Action of scraping off skin | |
Dermatogenic | Originating from the skin | |
Dermatome | Surgical instrument for collecting skin grafts | |
Dermis | Layer of skin between the epidermis and subcutaneous tissues | |
Dermojet | Treatment of scars using cortisone | |
Desensitize | Stepwise exposure of a patient to their feared stimuli or memories, e.g. to alleviate anxiety symptoms | |
Dissociative amnesia | Temporary total or partial loss of memory of a traumatic event | |
Diuresis | Urination | |
Doppler | sonography A special application of ultrasound | |
Dysphoria | Dissatisfaction with life |
E | Emotional lability | Rapid mood changes |
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Enteral | Pertaining to the small intestine | |
Entity | Fixed constant, entireness | |
Enuresis | Bed wetting | |
Epidermis | The outermost layer of the skin | |
Epithelial tissue | Multilayer arrangement of cells covering the surface of the body | |
Erythema | Redness of the skin | |
Eschar | Wound scab | |
Escharotomy | Surgical division of an eschar | |
E-technique | Special neurological treatment technique | |
Excise, excision | Cut out, remove, e.g. a scar | |
Expander | Silicone pad that is placed under healthy skin and filled with fluid over an extended period of time via a valve located under the skin. This overstretches the healthy skin. The skin harvested is used as scar tissue. | |
Exposed | Visible, noticeable | |
Extension | Stretching, elongation | |
Extracorporeal | Outside the body | |
Extremity | Limb of the body | |
Extubation | Removal of a breathing tube | |
Exudate | Fluid and cells that have seeped out of tissue, blood vessels and lymphatic vessels as a result of inflammation |
F | Fascia | Muscle cover |
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Fasciocutaneous | Skin and fascia combined | |
Fibrin | Activates the “adhesive” of blood clotting thereby enabling the wound to close | |
Fibrin adhesive | 2-part adhesive, e.g. for securing skin grafts | |
Flap plasty | Flap of tissue with all its vessels that is used to replace scar tissue | |
Flashback | Sudden recollection of a traumatic situation | |
Flexion | Bending | |
Fluctuating | Changeable |
G | Globules | Medication in a spherical form |
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Granulation | Formation of grains | |
Granulation tissue | Granular connective tissue formed on the wound during the healing process (hypergranulation = excessive granulation) |
H | Haematoma | Bruising, “black and blue” mark, discoloration that disappears in a few days |
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Hyperemia | Excess blood in a tissue | |
Hyperplasia | Enlargement of tissue or an organ caused by an increase in cell volume (opposite of atrophy) | |
Hypertrophic | Raised, enlarged, still active | |
Hypertrophic scar formation | Excessive, proliferative scar formation | |
Hypertrophic scars | Enlarged, raised, still active scars | |
Hypodermis | Another term for the subcutaneous fatty tissue | |
Hypothermia | Overcooling | |
Hypoxia | Reduction of oxygen content in body tissues |
I | Immune system | Biological defense system of the body |
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Individuation | Conscious, individual personality | |
Infection | Inflammation | |
Inflammability | Combustibility | |
Infusion, infuse | Introduction of a liquid into the body using a hollow needle | |
Inhalation trauma | Damage to the lungs due to breathing in harmful substances | |
Instillation | Dropwise introduction of liquids into an organism | |
Insufficient | Not enough | |
Interaction level | Environmental level | |
Interstitial space | Space between the individual layers of tissue in the body | |
Intervention | Procedure | |
Intestinal | Pertaining to the intestinal tract | |
Intraoperative | During an operation | |
Intravenous | Into the vein | |
Intrusion | Unwanted flashback of a traumatic event, which is often associated with anxiety and panic | |
Intubation | Insertion of a special tube into the respiratory tract |
K | Keloid | Raised, no longer active scar tissue resulting from an abnormal healing process |
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Keratinocytes | Basal cells of the epidermis |
L | Langerhans cells | Cells of the immune system that are located in the epidermis |
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Lesion | Damage, injury | |
Localization | Location, site | |
Lower lid ectropion | Drooping and sometimes everted lower eyelid |
M | Manual therapy | Joint and soft tissue technique used in physiotherapy |
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Mature scars | Scars that no longer change under the application of pressure, are light in color and level with the skin | |
MCP joint | Metacarpophalangeal joint | |
Mediators | Hormone-like signal substances | |
Meek technique | Perforated sheet grafts | |
Mentosternal | Area between the chin and sternum | |
Mesh graft | Skin graft in the form of a mesh | |
Meshing | Increasing the size of a skin graft using a grid pattern | |
Metabolism | Chemical transformations within cells | |
Microanastomosis | Surgical connection of very small blood vessels | |
Mobility | Ability to move | |
Monitoring | Observing body functions using monitoring devices | |
Mucosa | Membrane lining various cavities in the body | |
Myocutaneous | Muscle and outer skin together |
N | Narcosis | Anaesthesia, artificially induced sleep-like state with loss of consciousness to produce insensibility to pain |
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Narcotization | To anaesthetize (see Narcosis) | |
Necrosectomy | Removal of dead tissue | |
Necrosis | Burnt, dead tissue |
O | Occupational therapy | Therapy to relearn and build back lost physical, social or psychological functions. It provides targeted training to help patients master everyday activities such as washing, dressing, cooking, etc. |
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Oedema | Swelling caused by the accumulation of fluid in the tissue | |
Organism | System of organs of the human body | |
Orthotist | Orthopedic technicians who manufacture medical aids, also compression garments |
P | Pad (pelotte) | A “pelotte” is a ball-shaped, usually half-spherical pad generally used in medical applications for compression, or to press together or separate tissue. |
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Paediatric surgery | Medical field specializing in the operative treatment of childhood illnesses | |
Parenteral | Bypassing the alimentary tract, e.g. parenteral administration of a medication via a vein | |
Permeability disorder | Loss of permeability of cell membranes | |
Phobia | Pathological anxiety | |
Physiotherapy | Movement therapy to maintain or restore physical function | |
Physiotherapy | Treatment by physical methods | |
Plastic surgery | Plastic surgery (Greek: plastikos - mold, give form) is any type of surgery that involves changes to organs or the surfaces of the body for functional or aesthetic/cosmetic reasons. | |
Platysma | Broad sheet of muscle in the throat | |
Plexus | Network of nerves | |
Pneumonia | Inflammation of the lung | |
PNF | Percutaneous needle fasciotomy - a special neurological treatment technique | |
Postoperative | After the operation | |
Posttraumatic | The prefix “post” means after, here: after trauma | |
Posttraumatic symptoms | Psychological consequences of a traumatic experience that develop at a later time | |
Prevention | Avoid or protect against something happening | |
Primary excision | Cutting out of small scars for immediate, direct wound closure | |
Prognosis | Expected course of the illness | |
Progredient | Progressive | |
Project | To carry over | |
Proliferation | Rapid growth | |
Prolong | To extend the duration of | |
Pruritus | Itchiness | |
Psyche | The sum total of all conscious and subconscious processes and mental functions | |
Psychic | Relating to the psyche | |
Psychologist | A psychologist practices psychology, which is defined as the scientific study of the experiences and behavior of humans | |
Psychosis | So-called mental disorder | |
Psychosomatic | Connection or interaction between the body and mind | |
Psychosomatic | Interaction of body and mind |
R | Radialis flap | Skin flap taken from an area of the forearm |
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Recell | Skin that is sprayed on rather than applied | |
Reconvalescent | Recovering from an illness, restoration | |
Recurrence | Relapse | |
Recurrent | Arising again | |
Regression | Retreat to an earlier stage of development | |
Rehabilitation | Follow-up treatment and best possible restoration of health | |
Relax | Release tension | |
Relevant | Important, significant | |
Respirator | Breathing apparatus | |
Respiratory therapy | Passive and active breathing exercises as a supportive measure after surgery, e.g. blowing bubbles in a glass of water using a straw | |
Retinaculum | Reinforced strands of connective tissue | |
Retraumatization | Repeat traumatization that may be brought about, amongst other things, by the treatment measures using in the intensive care phase (repeated loss of control) | |
Retrograde amnesia | Inability to recall the events for a certain period of time preceding loss of consciousness | |
Reversible | Able to be changed back, restored | |
Rule of nines | Rule for calculating the burn surface area involving dividing the body into 9 percent compartments |
S | Scald | Injury caused by hot liquids |
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Scar | A scar constitutes the healed state of a skin injury. The connective tissue of the scar will, at first, be red, fairly inelastic and not very functional. As the scar matures it is possible for shrinking and hardening to occur. | |
Scar contracture release | Scar removal by making zigzag incisions so the wound can be closed without tension | |
Scar hypertrophy | An excessive production of collagen fibres leads to the irregular formation of connective tissue extending beyond the original wound area. | |
Scar massage | Careful massaging with the aim of shrinking the scar tissue | |
Sedation | Calming down by means of medications | |
Sedative | Calming medication | |
Sepsis | Decay, blood poisoning | |
Sheet | Special material for covering over | |
Silicone | Plastic | |
Silicone implant | Plastic pouch filled with gel | |
Silicone patch | Plastic patch for reducing hypertrophic scars | |
Skin bank | Repository of skin cells for future use | |
Skin defect | Missing skin tissue | |
Skin grafting | Transfer of a full-thickness or split-thickness skin graft from one body region to another to cover exposed areas | |
Split-thickness skin graft | Very thin layer of epidermis taken from an uninjured area of the body | |
Spontaneous remission | Spontaneous healing | |
Stasis | Zone of circulatory stagnation | |
Stigma | Label, negative characteristic | |
Subcutis | Another term for the subcutaneous fascia | |
Substitution | Replace, fill up | |
Surgery | A specialist medical field involving the diagnosis and then treatment of illnesses and injuries by operative means | |
Swab | Collection of skin cells using a cotton swab to test for a bacterial infection or cell changes. | |
Symptoms | Signs of illness, these signs being characteristic of a particular illness | |
Systemic | Affecting the entire organism |
T | Take rate | Number of healed grafts |
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Tangential excision | Removal of burnt skin in thin layers | |
TBSA | Abbreviation for total body surface area | |
Temperature sensors | Cell unit for the perception of hot and cold | |
Therapist | One who provides treatment | |
Therapy | Treatment | |
Thermal | The Greek prefix “therm” stands for “warm” | |
Thrombosed vessels | Vessels blocked by blood clots | |
Thrombosis | Blood clot that is blocking a vein thereby interrupting the blood flow | |
Trachea | Windpipe | |
Transplantation | Moving of tissue or organs to replace missing body tissue or organs | |
Trauma | Violent forces from outside, psychological shock | |
Trigger | Event that initiates something |
V | Vascularization | Supply with blood vessels |
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Vojta | Special neurological treatment method used in physiotherapy |
X | Xenograft | Graft obtained from an animal |
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Z | Z-plasty | Breaking up of a scar by making Z-shaped incisions and then displacing and suturing the flaps in a tension free manner. |
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