perfusion
Meaning of perfusion: Perfusion is the flow of blood through an organ's vessels delivering oxygen and nutrients to its tissue, a concept central to circulation throughout the body.
Definition of perfusion
Perfusion refers to the passage of blood through the blood vessels of an organ or tissue, delivering oxygen and nutrients to the cells there and carrying away waste products. Adequate perfusion is required for tissue to function normally, and it depends on factors including blood pressure, the condition of the blood vessels, and the volume of blood available to circulate.
Perfusion can be reduced locally, as when a blocked artery limits blood flow to a specific area, or more broadly throughout the body, as occurs in shock, a state in which overall perfusion falls too low to meet the body's needs. Clinicians assess perfusion through signs such as skin color, temperature, and pulse, as well as through imaging and other testing.
The term also describes a specific medical technique, regional perfusion, in which a targeted area of the body, often a limb, receives a concentrated dose of medication delivered directly through its blood supply, a distinct and specialized use of the same underlying concept of blood flow through tissue.
Used in a sentence
The surgical team monitored perfusion to the limb closely following the procedure.
Good to know
Regional perfusion, which delivers concentrated medication through the blood supply of a single limb, is a specific technique distinct from the general concept of perfusion describing ordinary blood flow through any organ or tissue.
Word origin
Where “perfusion” comes from
Formed from Latin perfundere, meaning to pour through, from per-, meaning through, and fundere, meaning to pour.