Discharge

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List of terms related to Discharge

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] ; Aditya Govindavarjhulla, M.B.B.S. [2]

Overview

Discharge is an exudate draining from the wounds. It can be internal or external. It is formed from the serum.

Classification

Serous

(resembling serum)

• Serous drainage looks clear or straw colored.
• It arises from protein and fluid in the tissue.
• It supports the healing process and contains protein, electrolytes, sugar and white cells.
• Serous occurs as a normal process of healing.

Sanguinous

(related to blood)

• Sanguinous is the red drainage from trauma to a blood vessel.
• This may occur with the cleaning of a wound or disturbance to wound.
• The consistency appears thin and watery with sanguinous fluid.

Serosanguinous

• Serosanguinous fluid appears pink due to a small number of blood cells mixing with serous drainage.
• It has a consistency of thin and watery.
• Serosanguinous fluid appears normally in the healing of wounds.

Purulent

• Purulent discharge is yellow, gray or green drainage.
• It results when infection sets in.
• The discharge fluid has infectious microbes, white cells and other inflammatory cells.
• The volume of the exudates increases when an infection occurs.

Mucopurulent

• Mucopurulent discharge is also called pus
• Pus is a whitish-yellow or yellow substance produced during inflammatory responses of the body.
• It can be noticed in regions of pyogenic bacterial infections.
• Pus consists of a thin, protein-rich fluid, known as liquor puris, and dead neutrophils (white blood cells), which are part of the body's innate immune response.

Hemorrhagic

• Hemorrhagic discharge indicates a leaking blood vessel putting out blood.
• The consistency is thicker than sanguinous fluid.
• It may require assistance to control bleeding.