Through the skin, such as a needle stick, a cut, or a human bite describes which term?

Through the skin, such as a needle stick, a cut, or a human bite describes which term?

• A. Percutaneous
• B. Transdermal
• C. Pericardial
• D. Dermal Contact

Answer: (A)

Percutaneous describes anything that passes through the skin. When a needle sticks through the skin, a cut penetrates the surface, or a bite breaks the skin, a pathway is created from the outside to deeper tissues—that’s precisely what “percutaneous” means. In medical terms, it’s used for procedures or routes that access the body via the skin, distinguishing it from ideas like intradermal (within the skin) or subcutaneous (beneath the skin). Transdermal, while also related to the skin, usually refers to substances moving across intact skin into the bloodstream, not the act of penetration itself. Pericardial and dermal contact don’t fit because they describe the heart’s surrounding area or surface skin interaction, not penetration through the skin.

Percutaneous describes anything that passes through the skin. When a needle sticks through the skin, a cut penetrates the surface, or a bite breaks the skin, a pathway is created from the outside to deeper tissues—that’s precisely what “percutaneous” means. In medical terms, it’s used for procedures or routes that access the body via the skin, distinguishing it from ideas like intradermal (within the skin) or subcutaneous (beneath the skin). Transdermal, while also related to the skin, usually refers to substances moving across intact skin into the bloodstream, not the act of penetration itself. Pericardial and dermal contact don’t fit because they describe the heart’s surrounding area or surface skin interaction, not penetration through the skin.