What it means
The breaking open of a body part. Examples are a ruptured appendix, a ruptured aneurysm, a ruptured ectopic pregnancy, a ruptured eardrum and the rupture of membranes in labor (the "water breaking"). A rupture of an organ or large vessel can cause severe bleeding or infection and is often an emergency.
At a glance
| Spanish | ruptura, rotura |
|---|---|
| Also written | ruptures, ruptured |
Related terms
hemorrhage
A large loss of blood from a blood vessel, inside the body or out of it.
appendicitis
Inflammation of the appendix, the small pouch that hangs from the start of the large intestine.
membrane
A thin layer of tissue that covers, lines or separates parts of the body, or the outer layer of a cell.
ectopic pregnancy
A pregnancy in which the fertilized egg implants and grows outside the main cavity of the uterus, most often in a fallopian tube.