Word parts
What it means
Heavy bleeding. It may be seen (from a wound, the vagina after birth, vomiting blood) or hidden inside the body, such as in the belly, the brain or a thigh. As blood volume falls, the heart rate rises, the blood pressure drops, and the skin becomes pale, cool and clammy. A postpartum hemorrhage is heavy bleeding after childbirth.
For the nurse
Apply direct pressure to bleeding you can see and call for help. Watch the pulse, blood pressure, urine output and level of consciousness, and check dressings and under the client, where blood can pool. Report a rising pulse even before the blood pressure falls.
In a chart
"Dressing saturated, HR 124, BP 88/52; pressure applied, rapid response called."
At a glance
| Spanish | hemorragia |
|---|---|
| Also written | hemorrhages, haemorrhage, hemorrhaging, hemorrhagic |
Related terms
tachycardia
A heart rate faster than normal; in an adult, more than 100 beats per minute.
hypotension
Blood pressure lower than normal, generally below 90/60 mm Hg in an adult.
hem/o
A word part that means blood.
blood transfusion
Giving blood, or a part of blood, from a donor into a person's vein.
hematoma
A collection of blood, often clotted, that has leaked out of the blood vessels into the tissue.