ABSTRACT
Bruises (or contusions) are areas of hemorrhage into the skin that result from rupture of small vessels within the tissue. The size, shape, and color of the bruise should be recorded, as well as its location. Bruises result from blunt trauma injury. Age, body habitus, and natural disease or drug therapy altering the coagulability of the blood affect ease of bruising and the appearance of the bruise.3 Bruising occurs easily to areas where the skin is lax. Equally, significant internal injury may result in the absence of skin injury.
