Word parts
What it means
A bruise changes color as it heals, from red-purple to blue, then green, yellow and brown. Bruises come from injury but also appear more easily in older adults and with low platelets, anticoagulants, steroids or liver disease. A raised, swollen collection of blood is a hematomahee-muh-TOH-muhA collection of blood, often clotted, that has leaked out of the blood vessels into the tissue.hem/o blood (here as hemat-)-oma swelling or massFull entry instead.
For the nurse
Note the size, color and location of bruises. Bruises in a pattern, in unusual places or at different stages of healing can point to abuse and must be reported.
At a glance
| Everyday words | bruise |
|---|---|
| Spanish | equimosis |
| Also written | ecchymoses, ecchymotic |
Related terms
-osis
A word ending that means an abnormal condition or process, or an increase.
anticoagulant
A drug that slows the blood's ability to form clots.
thrombocytopenia
A blood platelet count below normal, under 150,000/mm3.
hematoma
A collection of blood, often clotted, that has leaked out of the blood vessels into the tissue.