Blodflöd

Blodflöd is a Swedish term that can refer to either the flow of blood through the circulatory system or, in older usage, to bleeding. In contemporary Swedish, the term is uncommon, and more precise terminology is usually preferred: blodflöde for the normal movement of blood within vessels and blödning for bleeding. Because of its ambiguity, modern medical writing typically avoids blodflöd in favor of these standard terms.

Etymology and usage notes

Blodflöd is formed from blod (blood) and flöd, an older or dialectal form related to the modern word flöde (flow). The form with flöd is primarily seen in historical texts or poetic language, whereas the modern equivalent is blodflöde. The term’s presence or absence can influence interpretation, so clarity is favored in technical writing.

In physiology and medicine

When referring to the normal movement of blood, the appropriate term is blodflöde, describing flow through arteries, capillaries, and veins. This flow depends on factors such as cardiac output, vascular resistance, and the regulatory mechanisms that adjust vessel tone. In contexts describing loss of blood, or bleeding, the correct term is blödning (or, less commonly, blodförlust for blood loss). Blodflöd itself is rarely used in current clinical texts and may be encountered mainly in historical documents or literary contexts.

See also

Blood circulation (blodcirkulation), blodflöde, blödning.