What it means
A skin graft covers a wound or burn with skin taken from another part of the client's body (the donor site). A vascular graft replaces or bypasses a damaged blood vessel, as in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), which uses a leg vein or chest artery. Bone grafts help bone heal. A graft from the same person is an autograft; one from another person is an allograft.
For the nurse
Keep a new skin graft still and protected so it can attach, and watch for bleeding, fluid collecting under it, and infection. Care for the donor site too, which is often more painful.
At a glance
| Spanish | injerto |
|---|---|
| Also written | grafts, grafting, grafted |
Related terms
coronary artery
One of the blood vessels on the surface of the heart that bring oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle.
burn
An injury to the skin or deeper tissues caused by heat, chemicals, electricity, radiation or friction.
surgeon
A doctor trained to treat disease, injury or deformity by operating on the body.