Click on a letter to access terms or click the "on" button to browse entire glossary.
A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M|N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z
Acetic acid - A vinegar solution sometimes used under
a dressing that helps to kill germs.
Airplane trough - A positioning device for the arms that
attaches to a hospital bed. Usually arm wedges are held in place
on a airplane trough. Arm wedges on an airplane trough are used
to reduce swelling, to regain normal range of motion, and to prevent
healing skin from shrinking while in bed. (It is named airplane
trough because it positions the arms away from the body like the
wings on a plane.)
Airplane or auxillary - A splint for the shoulders or axilla
is used to prevent the skin from shrinking as it heals and to
restore range of motion by stretching the skin under the arms.
Anesthesia - Medicine that puts the patient into a kind of sleep, used so it won't hurt during surgery.
Anesthesiologist - A doctor who gives anesthesia.
Arm wedge - A foam positioning device that is higher at
one end and lower at the other. An arm wedge is used to reduce
swelling by keeping the arm elevated above the level of your heart.
Artery - One of the heavy-duty tubes or blood vessels that
sends blood away from the heart.
Atarax- A medicine that relives itch and makes you sleepy.
Axilla- The area under your arms, the armpit area.
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Bacitracin - Antibiotic ointment with an oily consistency.
Used for superficial burns.
Bandages - A strip of cloth or other material used to cover
a wound or protect an injured part.
Blood pressure - The pressure of the blood against the
blood vessel walls.
Blood vessel - Any of the tubes in the body through which
the blood flows. Arteries and veins are blood vessels. Your body
is full of miles of tubes that carry fast moving blood. These
tubes are called blood vessels.
Blowby oxygen mask - A mask used to give a patient oxygen.
It fits under the chin and it blows the oxygen towards the patient's
nose and mouth.
Bedside tables- A special hospital table that moves around
easily because it has wheels. Sometimes bedside tables are used
to
secure positioning devices such as pillows or arm wedges.
Benedryl - A medicine that helps relieve itch. It can also
make you sleepy or sometimes overactive.
Bucks traction - Bucks is a name of a foam sleeve used
to hold an arms in traction. Bucks traction is used to keep arm
up to
reduce swelling, to regain normal range of motion and to prevent
healing axilla (under the arm) skin from shrinking.
Burn- When skin is damaged by heat or fire. Burns can be
small or large. A first degree burn damages only the top layer
of skin. It heals by itself. A second degree burn might heal by
itself but may need special care from a doctor to heal better
and faster. A third degree burn does not heal by itself. This
burn goes through all the skin layers. A third degree burn must
be repaired with a skin graft operation before it will heal.
Burn center or Burn unit - The part of a hospital where
people who have been burned get medical treatment. A burn patient
receives care from many people who specialize in burn treatment
including doctors, nurses and therapists.
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Capillary - One of the tubes that connect the arteries
and veins. Capillaries are the smallest of the blood vessels.
A
capillary is smaller than the size of a piece of hair.
Cardiac monitor- The cardiac monitor looks like a TV with
wavy lines and numbers that appear in different colors. A cardiac
monitor records heart rate and blood pressure.
Carotene - Pigment in the skin that gives yellowish coloring.
Cast - A splint made of plaster or fiberglass material.
A cast for a burn is worn as a splint for the hand, elbow or leg
to prevent the skin from shrinking as it heals. It also and restores
range of motion by stretching the skin. A
cast also provides protection to fragile healing skin.
Clavicle strap - Soft cotton strap that is worn in a figure
eight pattern around each shoulder to prevent the skin from shrinking
as it heals and restores motion by stretching the skin.
Clinitron bed - A bed filled with tiny sand-like beads
that are gently moving all of the time.
Compression garments - Compression garments are special
clothing made of elastic fabric. These garments are made to fit
tight. They help the burn heal by pressing on the scars. The tightness
also helps to stop the itching that happens while a burn is healing.
Continuous passive motion machine (CPM)- A CPM is used
to restore range of motion by constantly moving the joint by a
machine. The CPM also stretches the skin as it moves the joints
through range of motion. CPM's might be used on a hand, leg or
an arm.
Contracture - Loss of normal movement as a result of
healing.
Cotton batting- A type of dressing that is used to pad
and protect an area.
Dermatome - A tool with a sharp razor blade that sheers the donor skin off the body.
Dermis - The second or inner layer of the skin. It is filled with blood vessels, nerves, hair follicles, and sweat glands.
Donor skin - Skin that is taken from an area of the
body which has healthy unburned skin. This skin replaces the burned
skin.
Doxepin - A medicine that relieves pain.
Elastic wraps - A type of bandage. The more common name
is ace wrap.
Endotracheal tube (ET Tube) - A flexible plastic tube that
goes through the nose or mouth and into the lungs to help you
breathe. A ventilator is connected to this tube.
Epidermis- The thin, outer layer of the skin. It contains
dead skin cells on the surface.
Exercise - Activity that trains or improves the body or
the mind. Movements to stretch or strengthen parts of the body.
Exudry - A type of bandage. It is an absorbent, padded
dressing that comes in shapes to fit different areas of the
body.
Feeding tube - A small tube that is put into the nose that goes down into the stomach. Liquid food goes into the stomach through the feeding tube.
Finger extension trough splints - Finger splints used to support a finger joint so that it heals without contracting. A finger trough helps to prevent deformity.
Flexnet - A type of bandage. It is an elastic open-weave dressing.
Foot cushion - A cushion that is placed on the hospital bed to keep feet in a walking position.
Heart beat - One complete pumping motion of the heart. When the heart squeezes or pumps to move the blood through the body it makes a thumping sound called a heart beat.
Heart rate - The number of times the heart beats in
one minute. Normal heart rate for a child is in the range of 80
to 120 beats per minute.
Hospital bed - A hospital bed has buttons on it to put
the head up and down and the feet up and down.
Hypertrophic scar - An injury that heals showing a red,
hard, raised bump under the skin.
Immature graft or donor - A new graft or donor.The site
is red; it may be painful and itch. It is not done healing.
Inflammation - Redness, pain, heat and swelling in the
body, due to injury.
Interdigital - The area between the fingers.
Interdigital inserts - Placing inserts between the fingers
and thumb web space to prevent the skin from shrinking as it heals
and to restore range of motion by stretching the skin. Inserts
are usually made from cotton or silicone.
Iowa City mouth splint - A mouth splint used to keep the
mouth from shrinking.
Itch- A tickling or stinging feeling in the skin.
Intravenous IV's- IV's are fluids that we put into the body.
Kerlix - A type of bandage. It is a white gauze dressing.
Kinair Bed - A bed with many cushions that are filled with
air. We can make this bed softer or harder by changing the amount
of air in the cushions.
Kling - A type of bandage. It is an open weave dressing.
MacFarlane mouth splint - A mouth splint custom made
by a dentist. It is used to keep the mouth from shrinking.
Mature graft or donor site - A graft or donor site that
is done healing. A mature site has faded to a more normal color
and it usually does not itch anymore. Mature graft or donor skin
does not look exactly like unburned skin - and it never will.
Medicine - A drug or other substance used to prevent
or cure disease or to relieve pain.
Melanin - Pigment in the skin that gives brown and black
tones. Melanin makes a kind of screen that keeps out some
the burning sunlight.
Meshed graft - Making tiny slits or cuts into the donor
skin. A meshed graft may be stretched to allow it to cover a larger
area than it came from.
Methodone - A medicine that relieves pain.
Morphine - A medicine that relieves pain and makes you
sleepy.
Nasal cannula - A type of breathing mask for oxygen.
A small plastic tube blows small amounts of oxygen directly into
the nose.
Nasogastric tube (NG Tube) - The NG tube goes into the
nose or mouth and down to the stomach. This tube pulls the juices
out of the stomach so a person doesn't get sick and throw up.
Nurse - A person who is trained to take care of sick people
and to teach them how to stay healthy.
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Operating rooms (OR) - An OR is also called a surgery
room. It is a very clean (sterile) room where skin graft surgeries
take place.
Occupational therapist - A person who is trained in rehabilitation.
Occupational therapists are knowledgeable about using activity,
exercise, splints and positioning to help a person with burns
get well.
Operating room nurse - A nurse who helps with surgery.
Oximeter - The oximeter looks like a band aide. It is usually
placed on a toe or a finger. An oximeter registers a number on
a machine. This number tells us if there is enough oxygen in the
body.
Oxygen mask - A mask that fits over the nose and the mouth
and gives oxygen.
Percocet- Medication that relieves pain and can make you sleepy.
Perspiration - Moisture that is given off through the
pores of the skin; sweat.
Physical therapist- A person who is trained in rehabilitation.
Physical therapists are knowledgeable about using activity,
exercise, splints and positioning that will help a person with
burns get well.
Pigmentation- Any coloring matter in tissues.
Positioning- The way in which a person or thing is placed
or arranged. The goals of positioning for a person with a burn
injury are to 1) reduce swelling 2) and to make it as easy as
possible to maintain and regain normal motions after a burn.
Pulse- The rhythmic beat of the arteries caused by the
beating of the heart. When our heart beats, blood is pumped out
into the arteries. The arteries are stretched and bulge out with
each heart beat. This can be felt in places where arteries are
close to the skin. We call this a pulse.
Resident surgeon - A doctor who is training to become a surgeon.
Resting hand splint - A hand splint is used to support the hand and wrist joints and to help them heal without contracting so that a deformity does not develop.
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Sandals (for burns) - A splint worn to support and protect
burned feet while healing.
Scar - A mark left on the skin after a wound has healed.
It looks like puffy red skin. The scar can be very small or very
big. A scar can be so big that it makes normal movement difficult.
Sensation - The power or ability to see, hear, smell, taste
or touch.
Sheet graft - Donor skin that is removed from an unburned
area of the body. The sheet donor is not meshed - holes are NOT
put
into a sheet graft.
Silver Sulfadiazine - A medicine that is a white antibiotic
cream. The cream is either spread directly on the burn or put
on a dressing that covers a burn.
Skin - The outer covering of the body. The skin protects the organs inside the body and is the sense organ for touch, temperature and pain.
Skin Graft - An operation where a doctor attaches donor
skin to a place on the body that has been burned.
Soft Kling - A type of bandage. It is a small soft, stretchy,
wrap often used to cover burns on fingers.
Splints - Splints are made of many materials. Splints are
used to hold parts of the body in the best position after a burn
in
order to:
Stethoscope- A instrument used by doctors and nurses
to listen to heartbeats and other sounds in the body.
Sulfamylon - A medicine that is a white antibiotic cream.
The cream is either spread directly on the burn or put on a dressing
that covers a burn. Sulfamylon is generally used only on third
degree,full thickness burns.
Surgeon - A doctor who performs surgeries.
Surgical staples - Staples that are used to secure the
edges of a graft to healthy skin. Staples are used to hold a graft
in place.
Surgical sutures - Stitches made from with a needle and
silk or nylon thread. Sutures are used to hold a graft in place.
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Tall walker - A type of walker that has a bar overhead
to hold. A tall walker is used for when you have burned your hands
or arms.
Therabite - A exercise splint used to stretch the mouth.
Therapy - Therapy might include exercise, splinting, positioning,
using compression garments, transparent face masks or learning
about how to best help the body heal after a burn. Working on
therapy is a part of getting well after a burn injury.
Tilt table- A special table that moves a person from a
lying down position to a standing position. A tilt table is used
to help a person get use to standing again after being in bed
for a very long period of time.
Traction - A pulling or drawing. Traction is commonly used
for positioning after a burn injury.
Transparent face mask (TFO) - A see-through mask that is
worn after a face burn. A face mask is a splint that helps grafted
skin on the face heal so that it is soft and smooth with the least
amount of scarring.
Unna - Zinc oxide medicine in a fabric open weave wrap that dries to form a soft cast. It can be removed by soaking in water.
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Veins- Veins are tubes inside the body that bring the blood
back to the heart. They are bigger than capillaries.
Ventilator - A machine that helps a person breathe. The
ventilator is connected to the endotracheal tube (ET Tube) - the
tube that goes into the lungs. Just like blowing air into a balloon,
the ventilator blows air into the lungs.
Versed - A medicine that makes you sleepy and forget any unpleasant experience.
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Xeroform - A yellow gauze dressing that is put on cleaned
second degree burns.
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