Word parts
What it means
A word for drainage made of pus. Pus is a thick fluid of white blood cells, dead tissue and germs. Wound drainage is described by type: serous (clear and watery), sanguineous (bloody), serosanguineous (thin and pink) and purulent. Purulent drainage, especially with a bad smell, often means a wound infection.
For the nurse
Describe wound drainage by its color, thickness, amount and smell, and report new purulent drainage, with redness, warmth or fever. Get a wound culture before antibiotics if ordered.
In a chart
"Moderate amount of thick, yellow-green purulent drainage from the incision; foul odor noted."
At a glance
| Spanish | purulento |
|---|
Related terms
infectious disease
An illness caused by a germ such as a bacterium, virus, fungus or parasite.
inflammation
The body's protective response to injury or infection, with redness, heat, swelling, pain and sometimes loss of function.
abscess
A closed pocket of pus in tissue, walled off by the body.