First Aid Medical and Injury Terminology

Abrasion  An Injury consisting of the loss of a partial thickness of skin from rubbing or scraping on a har, rough surface; also called a brush burn, mat burn or friction burn.

Laceration  A wound made by tearing or cutting of body tissues

PUNCTURE  The piercing of an organ or other body structure with a pointed instrument.

Impaled Object  An object that has caused a puncture wound and remains embedded in the wound

AVULSION  An injury that leaves a piece of skin or other tissue either partially or completely torn away from the body.

Closed fracture  A simple break or rupture in the bone, one that does not cause a break in the skin.

Comminuted or Impacted Fracture  A fracture in which the bone is shattered and broken into small pieces.  The Ends of the bones can also be jammed together

Compound Fracture  An open fracture, one in which the bone ends pierce the skin.

Other bone fractures 

Simple Dislocation Simple Dislocation  Displacement of a body part

Complete Dislocation

Dismemberment  Amputation of an extremity or portion of it.

Acute pain……………  Having a rapid onset, severe symptoms and a relatively short duration.

Chronic Pain  Long continue with slow onset.

Anoxia  Without oxygen; a reduction of oxygen in body tissue below required physiological levels.

Asphyxiation  Suffocation:

Contusion  Injury to the tissues (bruise) w/o skin breakage

Hemorrhage  Abnormally large amount of bleeding.

Hematoma  A localized collection of blood in an organ tissue, or space as a result of injury or a broken blood vessel.

Hemiplegia  Paralysis of one side of the body.

Ligaments……………….  A tough band Of connective tissue that connects bone to bone or that supports any organ

Tendons  A tough bane of dense, fibrous, connective tissue that attaches muscles to bone and other parts.

Cartilage  A spongy form of connective tissue which acts as a shock absorber between two long bones.