Terminology: weep (of a wound)

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    Terminology Wound
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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the terminology used to describe the yellowish secretions from wounds, particularly in the context of poison ivy contact. Participants explore the appropriate terms for both the process of fluid secretion and the fluid itself, considering various medical and colloquial terms.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Technical explanation, Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant inquires about the term for the yellowish secretions from a wound, noting that "weeping" is commonly used but not widely recognized in searches.
  • Another participant agrees that "weeping" is an appropriate term and suggests that the fluid may be lymphatic fluid or blood serum.
  • A different participant elaborates that "weeping" refers to exudates from skin lesions, explaining the characteristics of these fluids and their association with inflammation.
  • One participant compares the rate of "weeping" to other forms of fluid exudation, drawing an analogy to the formation of a pellicle in food preparation.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that "weeping" is a valid term for the fluid and its secretion process, but there are differing opinions on the specific nature of the fluid and its classification.

Contextual Notes

Some terms and definitions are not universally accepted, and the discussion reflects varying levels of familiarity with medical terminology related to wound exudates.

CRGreathouse
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Terminology: "weep" (of a wound)

Consider a typical open sore or wound -- in this case, from poison ivy contact. What do you call the yellowish secretions? I've heard it as 'weeping', but my Google searches haven't shown this to be particularly common -- and of course it's confused with crying.

The fluid is transparent, yellow in tint, and usually seeps out rather slowly -- enough so that it often crystalizes into small (~1mm) cubes. Sometimes more comes and it forms droplets on the skin.

This is a reasonably common occurrence but for some reason I can't think of a term for either the process or the fluid itself.
 
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I always called it weeping too. Not sure but I thought it was lymphatic fluid. Some call it blood serum too.
 
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CRGreathouse said:
This is a reasonably common occurrence but for some reason I can't think of a term for either the process or the fluid itself.

"Weeping" is a perfectly good term for exudates (or exudation) from skin lesions. Exudates are associated with inflammation and result from leakage from capillaries in the affected area. They can be clear to slightly yellowish (serous), slightly reddish (sero-sanguineous) and range from watery to sticky depending on protein content. With bacterial infection, they can turn kitty and foul smelling, but otherwise they are physiologic responses to skin and soft tissue injury.
 


The element of this description that is key is the rate of "weeping", compared to some slight exudate around a wound, or freely flowing pus. In many ways, it's similar to the formation of the pellicle when you salt fish for smoking, but with a better end for the wound than the fillet of salmon.