Definition

1. Noun:
   • The stopping of bleeding or blood flow: "Haemostasis" refers specifically to the physiological process or medical procedure that stops blood loss from a damaged vessel. It is a critical mechanism in wound healing and surgical contexts.

Usage

• Medical/Surgical Context: The term is used almost exclusively in medical, biological, and clinical settings to describe the natural process or an induced intervention to halt bleeding.
  • The surgeon achieved rapid haemostasis after the incision.
  • Platelets are essential for the body's natural haemostasis.

Advanced Usage

• "Achieve haemostasis": A common collocation meaning to successfully stop the bleeding.
  • The primary goal was to achieve haemostasis before closing the wound.
• "Mechanism of haemostasis": Refers to the complex biological process involving blood vessels, platelets, and clotting factors.
  • The lecture detailed the intricate mechanism of haemostasis.

Variants and Related Words

• Hemostasis (n): The American English spelling of "haemostasis". The meaning is identical.
  • Hemostasis is a fundamental concept in emergency medicine.
• Haemostatic (adj): Relating to or causing haemostasis.
  • The doctor applied a haemostatic agent to the wound.
• Haemostat (n): A surgical instrument or a chemical agent used to stop bleeding.
  • A haemostat was used to clamp the vessel.

Synonyms

• Stanching: The act of stopping the flow of blood.
• Coagulation: The process of blood changing from a liquid to a gel, forming a clot; a key part of haemostasis.

Related Phrases

• "Failure of haemostasis": A clinical situation where bleeding cannot be controlled.
  • The patient's condition was complicated by a failure of haemostasis.
• "Primary haemostasis": The initial phase involving platelet plug formation at the site of vessel injury.
• "Secondary haemostasis": The subsequent phase where a stable fibrin clot is formed through the coagulation cascade.

Noun

1. surgical procedure of stopping the flow of blood (as with a hemostat)