perfusion
2 synonyms and 1 antonym for perfusion, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — The flow of blood through the vessels of an organ or tissue, delivering oxygen and nutrients to it.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
blood flow
Antonyms
ischaemia
How to use perfusion
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
tissue perfusion
cerebral perfusion
poor perfusion
perfusion pressure
ventilation-perfusion
Medical and physiological. In nursing notes it often appears in phrases like 'well perfused'.
Etymology
From Latin perfusio, from perfundere meaning 'to pour over', from per 'through' and fundere 'to pour'.
Full origin of perfusion →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between perfusion and diffusion?
Perfusion is the bulk flow of blood delivering supplies to a tissue. Diffusion is the movement of individual molecules such as oxygen across a membrane once the blood has arrived. Perfusion gets the delivery lorry to the door; diffusion unloads it.
What causes poor perfusion?
Anything that lowers blood flow or pressure, including shock, heart failure, blood loss, blocked or narrowed arteries, severe dehydration and extreme cold. Signs include pale or mottled skin, cold extremities, slow capillary refill and confusion.
What is a ventilation-perfusion mismatch?
It is when air reaching the lungs and blood flowing past the lungs do not line up: some areas get air but no blood, or blood but no air. A pulmonary embolism is the classic cause and the result is low blood oxygen despite normal breathing effort.
