Characteristics of Inflammation

Question 0

What are the 4 steps to initiate local inflammation?

Answer 0

1: damaged tissues release histamines increasing blood flow to the area
2: Histamines cause capillaries to leak, releasing phagocytes and clotting factors into the wound
3: phagocytes engulf bacteria, dead cells, and cellular debris
4: platelets move out of the capillary to seal the wound area

Question 1

What are the 5 cardinal signs of pain?

Answer 1

1: warmth/heat: calor
2: Redness: Rubor
3: swelling: Edema
4: pain: dolor
5: disability/dysfunction

Question 2

What is the cause of warmth/redness/swelling?

Answer 2

• damaged tissues release histamine into the area which increases blood flow and intercellular fluids
• chemo-attractants are secreted by damaged issue help to attract fibroblasts into the area

Question 3

What are the reasons for warmth/redness/swelling?

Answer 3

• brings in WBC to become phagocytes to clean up debris
• brings in platelets to cause clotting and enclose area to prevent spread of inflammation/pathogens
• initiate remodeling of damaged area
• increased temp deactivated pathogen enzymes

Question 4

What is the cause of pain?

Answer 4

-the release of cytokines from damaged tissues initiating an enzymatic cascade

Question 5

what is the reason for pain?

Answer 5

to increase protection of effected area

Question 6

What is the cause of disability/dysfunction?

Answer 6

• pain causes muscle spasm

- spasm retricts/reduces motion in injured area

Question 7

what is the reason for disability/dysfunction?

Answer 7

• spasm has a splinting effect on the area

- partial immobilization of the area allows for protection and improved healing of the area

Question 8

What are problems with chronic inflammation?

Answer 8

• is often uncontained and cause system wide effects
• systemic inflammation can cause a cascade of other medical problems
• many medical disorders cause systemic inflammation, which is how they cause a wide variety of S&Sx

Question 9

What are the clinical lab tests that we need to know?

Answer 9

• Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)
• C-reactive protein (CRP)
• Rheumatoid factor (RF)
• Antinuclear antibody (ANA)

Question 10

What does ESR test for?

Answer 10

• nonspecific indicator of infection or inflammation

- measure levels of globulin and fibrinogen

Question 11

What does CRP test for?

Answer 11

• nonspecific indicator of bacterial infection or inflammation
• hsCRP used to asses risk of CVD (cardiovascular disease)

Question 12

What does RF test for?

Answer 12

-assists in the Dx of rheumatoid arthritis but is not specific to this inflammatory disease

Question 13

What does ANA test for?

Answer 13

• group of antinuclear antibodies used to Dx systemic lupus erythematosus
• not specific to systemic lupus erythematous