Dictionary

Signs and symptoms

What a client reports and what a nurse observes, named the way charts and handoffs name them.

ecchymosisA bruise: a flat purple or blue patch where blood has leaked from small vessels into the skin.

edemaSwelling caused by extra fluid trapped in the body's tissues.

emesisVomiting, or the material that is vomited.

enlarged liverA liver that is larger than normal; the medical word is hepatomegaly.

epistaxisBleeding from the nose; a nosebleed.

erythemaRedness of the skin caused by more blood flowing in the small vessels near the surface.

exacerbationA time when a long-term disease suddenly gets worse, or its symptoms flare up.

excoriationA raw, scraped area of skin where the top layer has been scratched or rubbed away.

exudateFluid, cells or other material that has leaked out of blood vessels into a wound or tissue.