acute abdominal pain

Question 1

give two examples of the systemic signs of inflammation

Answer 1

fever and decreased appetite

- due to acute phase reactions which are activated by inflammatory cytokines e.g. IL-1 and TNF-alpha

Question 2

what histological features would be present with acute inflammation

Answer 2

• neutrophils infiltrate
• areas of necrosis, due to tissue damage
• areas of hemorrhage, due to endothelial cells
• general disorganization and loss of normal tissue architecture

Question 3

what is the likely cause of a low-grade fever

Answer 3

• activation of acute phase reactions, leading to release of acute phase proteins by the liver
• occurs in response to macrophages and other immune cells releasing large amounts of inflammatory cytokines e.g. IL-1 & TNF-alpha into the blood after inflammatory trigger