What causes a hematoma?

What causes a hematoma?

• A. Leakage of blood from the vein into surrounding tissue
• B. Physical trauma to tissue
• C. Placing pressure on an IV injection site after injection
• D. IV injection performed too rapidly

Answer: (A)

A hematoma forms when blood escapes from a damaged vessel and collects in the surrounding tissue. That leakage from the vein into nearby tissue creates the localized swelling and bruise-like discoloration characteristic of a hematoma. So the option describing blood leaking from the vein into surrounding tissue matches this mechanism exactly. While physical trauma can injure vessels and lead to bleeding, the defining cause of a hematoma is blood leaking out of the vessel into tissue; applying pressure at an IV site helps prevent hematomas, and injecting too rapidly or other factors may cause irritation or other issues but do not describe the fundamental process.

A hematoma forms when blood escapes from a damaged vessel and collects in the surrounding tissue. That leakage from the vein into nearby tissue creates the localized swelling and bruise-like discoloration characteristic of a hematoma. So the option describing blood leaking from the vein into surrounding tissue matches this mechanism exactly. While physical trauma can injure vessels and lead to bleeding, the defining cause of a hematoma is blood leaking out of the vessel into tissue; applying pressure at an IV site helps prevent hematomas, and injecting too rapidly or other factors may cause irritation or other issues but do not describe the fundamental process.