What medical term describes an injury that results in a hemorrhage beneath intact skin?

Study for the DHO Health Science Test. Hone your skills with engaging flashcards and multiple-choice questions. Each question is followed by hints and explanations to help you excel. Get exam-ready now!

The term that accurately describes an injury resulting in a hemorrhage beneath intact skin is "contusion." A contusion, commonly known as a bruise, occurs when small blood vessels are ruptured due to trauma, causing blood to leak into the surrounding tissues. This leakage results in the characteristic discoloration that can be seen on the skin's surface, even though the skin itself remains unbroken.

In contrast, an abrasion refers to a superficial injury involving the rubbing or scraping away of the skin's surface, which does not involve deep tissue damage or bleeding beneath the skin. Hematomia is not a recognized medical term; the correct term related to blood accumulation is "hematoma," which usually refers to a collection of blood outside of blood vessels in a specific area and may or may not occur beneath the skin's surface. A sprain is an injury to a ligament caused by overstretching or tearing and does not typically involve skin discoloration or hemorrhage beneath the skin. Thus, "contusion" is the precise term used in medical contexts to describe this specific type of injury.

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