perfusion
Perfusion (noun) means the flow of blood through the vessels of an organ or tissue, delivering oxygen and nutrients to it. Example: “Cold, pale fingers can be a sign of poor peripheral perfusion.”
How to Use Perfusion
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishBlood reaching the tissues that need it.
Medical and physiological. In nursing notes it often appears in phrases like 'well perfused'.
Do not confuse perfusion with profusion, which means a large amount. The related adjective is perfused.
Trace the full origin ↓Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
Cold, pale fingers can be a sign of poor peripheral _____.
Etymology
From Latin perfusio, from perfundere meaning 'to pour over', from per 'through' and fundere 'to pour'.
Synonyms
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Related Words
Rhymes for 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.