Anoxia: A condition marked by the absence of oxygen reaching the tissues. It differs from hypoxia, in which there is a decrease in the oxygen levels to tissue.

Biocide tolerance: Demonstrating a tolerance to substances that destroy living things, such as bacteria. The initial stage in the life of biofilm can become biocide tolerant within 12 hours.

Calcium alginate: A water-insoluble, gelatinous substance that is highly absorbent. Dressings with calcium alginate can help to maintain a moist healing environment.

Dry gangrene: The condition in which a wound is contraindicated for moisture contribution. Dry gangrene can turn to wet gangrene and spread quickly.

Nitric oxide: A small radical, formed from the amino acid L-arginine by three distinct isoforms of nitric oxide synthase. It can regulate collagen formation, cell proliferation, and wound contraction when applied directly to a wound via a two-component gel dressing.

Normobaric oxygen therapy: A routine adjuvant oxygenation intervention supplied by nasal cannula or a facemask at normal atmospheric pressure.

Phagocytosis: The ingestion of bacterial or other material by phagocytes and amoeboid protozoans. The phagocyte uses its plasma membrane to engulf a large particle, thereby creating an internal compartment called a phagosome.

Polymerase chain reaction: A molecular test using DNA sequencing to report only the bacteria causing a problem in the wound bed, rather than all bacteria that are colonized.

Sucrose octasulfate: The potassium salt of sucrose octasulfate has been shown to inhibit matrix metalloproteases and interact with growth factors and restore their biological functions as a result of a high charge density. Dressings with sucrose octasulfate are statistically shown to progress toward or exhibit complete wound closure within 20 weeks.

Synergistic debridement: Combining more than one method of debridement to use together. Synergistic debridement can accelerate wound healing and reduce the quantity of necrotic debris built up between wound assessments.