Word parts
What it means
A pocket of blood under the skin or deep in the body, from a broken blood vessel. Under the skin it looks like a raised, firm, bluish swelling, larger and deeper than a bruise. It can form at an IV or blood-draw site, at a surgical incision, or after an injury. Inside the skull, an epidural or subdural hematoma presses on the brain.
For the nurse
Check puncture and incision sites for swelling, and mark the edges of a hematoma with a pen so you can see whether it grows. Clients on an anticoagulantan-tee-koh-AG-yoo-luntA drug that slows the blood's ability to form clots.anti- againstcoagul/o clotting-ant an agent that doesFull entry or with a low plateletPLAYT-litA tiny cell fragment in the blood that sticks together at a wound to help form a clot.Full entry count form them more easily. After a cardiac catheterization, a growing groin hematoma needs firm pressure and a report right away.
In a chart
"Firm 3 cm hematoma at left antecubital IV site; IV removed and pressure applied."
At a glance
| Spanish | hematoma |
|---|---|
| Also written | hematomas, haematoma |
Related terms
hemorrhage
A large loss of blood from a blood vessel, inside the body or out of it.
hem/o
A word part that means blood.
platelet
A tiny cell fragment in the blood that sticks together at a wound to help form a clot.
anticoagulant
A drug that slows the blood's ability to form clots.
thrombocytopenia
A blood platelet count below normal, under 150,000/mm3.