Word parts
What it means
A rare but serious wound complication. It usually follows dehiscencedee-HIS-ensThe splitting open of the edges of a wound that had been closed, such as a surgical incision.Full entry , when the layers of a surgical incision separate, and most often happens about 5 to 10 days after abdominal surgery. Coughing, vomiting, straining, obesity, poor nutrition, diabetes and infection all raise the risk. It is a surgical emergency.
For the nurse
Stay with the client and call for help. Cover the organs with sterile dressings soaked in sterile saline, place the client in low Fowler's position with the knees bent to ease tension on the abdomen, keep them NPO and watch for shock. Teach splinting the incision with a pillow when coughing.
At a glance
| Spanish | evisceración |
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Related terms
postoperative
Describing the time after surgery, from the end of the operation until recovery.
incision
A clean cut made through the skin and tissue during surgery.
dehiscence
The splitting open of the edges of a wound that had been closed, such as a surgical incision.
viscer/o
A word root that means the internal organs, especially those in the abdomen.