Inflammation Flashcards
1
Q
What’s inflammation?
A
The body’s non specific protective response to tissue damage, disease or injury when an attempt to destroy, dilute or wall off both the injurious agent and the injured tissue.
2
Q
What are the 5 cardinal signs and their purposes?
A
- redness (rubor)
- swelling (tumour)
- warmth (calor)
- pain (dolor)
- loss of function (function laesa)
Purpose - prevent minor infections from becoming overwhelming
Prepare any damaged tissue for repair
3
Q
What factors cause inflammation?
A
- injury/trauma - physical/thermal/radiation/electrical/chemical
- infection - viruses/bacteria/rickettsiae/fungi/protozoa/worms
- infarction - myocardial infarct which leads to ischaemia
- immune reactions - foreign protein hypersensitivity and auto immunity
- nutrient deprivation
4
Q
What are the suffix - ITIS?
A
- conjunctivitis
- tendonitis
- appendicitis
- oseteoarthritis
- peritonitis
- pericarditis
- capsulitis
5
Q
What is the mechanism of inflammation?
A
- Vascular response - changes blood flow and exudation of protein rich fluid
- Cellular response - leukocyte emigration
- Phagocytosis
- Lymphatic drainage
6
Q
Vascular response
A
- transient vasoconstriction
- more prolonged vasodilation
- increased blood flow and hydrostatic pressure
- opening of capillary beds
- increased vascular permeability
- bradykinin causes capillary endothelium to retract (crenellations)
- leaking of plasma etc to protein rich exudate
- oedema function
- haemoconcentration to stasis
7
Q
What is cellular response?
A
- Neutrophilis are the first leucocytes to emigrate to the site of injury followed by monocytes to macrophages
- they squeeze through the endothelial gaps by the process of diapedesis
- attracted to site of injury in response to chemical mediators in a process known as chemotaxis
- neutrophilis also produce powerful chemotactic chemicals
8
Q
What cellular changes can occur?
A
- margination
- rolling
- adhesion
- pavementing
- chemotaxis
- pseudopod formation
- amoeboid action
- emigration dispedesis - cell walking
9
Q
What’s phagocytosis?
A
The process of ingestion of foreign material or particulate matter
10
Q
What’s lymphatic drainage?
A
- Lymphatic system assists in drainage of tissue fluid
- during inflammation lymphatic vessels open up assisting drainage of excessive fluid, the products of inflammation and any antigens not dealt with the inflammatory processes
- antigen presenting cells present to the immune system, triggering the 3rd line of defence - the specific immune system
11
Q
What are the common types of medication for inflammation?
A
- aspirin
- NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as ibuprofen, diclofenac sodium (voltarol) and naproxen
- corticosteroids such as prednisolone
- immunosuppressants such as methotrexate
