What it means
A wound complication in which the layers of a closed incision come apart. It usually happens 5 to 10 days after surgery. Risk factors include obesity, diabetes, infection, poor nutrition, smoking, steroid use and strain on the incision from coughing, vomiting or lifting. If the wound opens fully and organs push out through it, it is called evisceration.
For the nurse
Teach the client to splint the incision with a pillow when coughing. If a wound opens, keep the client in bed with knees bent, cover any exposed tissue with sterile saline-moistened dressings, and call the surgeon at once.
In a chart
"Client felt a 'pop' while coughing; 4 cm separation of the midline incision noted."
At a glance
| Spanish | dehiscencia |
|---|---|
| Also written | wound dehiscence, dehisced |
Related terms
postoperative
Describing the time after surgery, from the end of the operation until recovery.
suture
A stitch, or the thread used to stitch, that holds the edges of a wound or incision together.
graft
Tissue or a man-made material moved into place in surgery to replace or repair a damaged part.