Acute Inflammation Flashcards
What is inflammation?
A defensive reaction of a macro organism mechanism against injury
How long does acute inflammation take to develop?
Minutes/ hours
How long does acute inflammation last for?
Hours or days
What are the 5 (general) triggers for inflammation?
- Infections Tissue damage due to: - physical agents - Chemical agents - mechanical injury and ischemia - foreign bodies
What are the 5 responses inflammation induces?
- alerts and initiates appropriate immune response
- limits the spread of infection or injury
- protects site from infection
- eliminates dead cells/ tissue
- makes conditions right for healing
Is acute inflammation beneficial?
Yes
Name the 5Rs
Recognition of injury Recruitment of leukocytes Removal of injurious agents Regulation (closure of inflammatory response) Resolution/ repair of affected tissue
What are the 5 signs of acute inflammation?
Heat Redness Swelling Pain Loss of function
Why does the area heat up when inflamed?
Increased blood flow and metabolic activity
Why does the area go red when inflamed?
Increased blood flow to injured area
What is hyperaemia?
Increased blood flow
Why does the area swell up when inflamed?
Fluid accumulation due to permeability of vessels
Why does the area become painful when inflamed?
Release of pain mediators; pressure on nerve ends
Why does the area (sometimes) lose function when inflamed?
Damage to the area
What are the 3 systemic changes that happen when an area is inflamed?
Fever
Neurophilia
Acute phase reactions are released
What does an increase in fibrinogen mean?
Makes the RBCs sticky -> stacking of RBCs -> faster sedimentation rate
Give some examples of acute phase reactants
- C reactive proteins
- fibrinogen
- complement
- serum amyloid A protein
Are there complications of the acute inflammation response?
Very rarely, it causes a severe systemic inflammatory reaction called sepsis or a form of inflammatory response syndromes (SIRS)
What happens to the vasculature in the acute inflammatory response?
Local reaction. Vasodilation, plasma exudation and oedema
What happens to the cells in the acute inflammatory response?
Infiltration of inflammatory cells. Cell recruitment, phagocytosis and NETosis
What happens to the humor in the acute inflammatory response?
Release of inflammatory mediators
What inflammatory mediators are released in the acute inflammatory response (5)?
Complement, plasma factors, clotting cascade, chemokines and cytokines
What happens in the resolution of the acute inflammatory response?
Inflammation is controlled and self-limiting. Healing, regeneration and repair of tissue
What is vasodilation induced by?
Histamine and seratonin released by injured cells, mast cells and macrophages
What does increased vascular permeability lead to?
Leakage of fluids into the tissues (swelling)
What happens as exudate accumulates at the inflamed site?
Pressure increases, and nerve endings are stimulated by the excess fluid and inflammatory mediators (pain)
What does the activation of endothelial cells lead to?
Increasing their expression of adhesion molecules