What it means
A plain word nurses use when charting skin, as in "reddened area over the sacrum" or "reddened, swollen IV site." The medical word is erythemaair-ih-THEE-muhRedness of the skin caused by more blood flowing in the small vessels near the surface.erythr/o red-ema conditionFull entry . On darker skin, redness may look purple, darker brown or just warmer and firmer, so other signs are checked too.
For the nurse
Press a reddened area: skin that does not blanch (stay pale) after pressure is a sign of a stage 1 pressure injury. Note the size, warmth, swelling and pain.
At a glance
| Also written | reddening |
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Related terms
inflammation
The body's protective response to injury or infection, with redness, heat, swelling, pain and sometimes loss of function.
erythema
Redness of the skin caused by more blood flowing in the small vessels near the surface.
pressure injury
Damage to the skin and the tissue beneath it from pressure, or pressure with shear, usually over a bony area or under a device.