Vascular and cellular response: foot soldiers of our first line of defense
Any injury to body tissues quickly causes local blood vessels to dilate (vascular response of inflammation). The slower flow brings in the required elements to remove the offending agent and overcome the damage. Key players are pre-existing proteins and white blood cells (cellular response of inflammation) carried by the flowing blood that leak out of the opened gaps of thin-walled vessels. Soon other activated protein systems and phagocytes follow, followed by growth factors. Finally, regeneration and repair restore tissue architecture and function.
Insights and Impact
- Whether on the body surface or in deep tissues the injury-inflammation sequence is predictable and guaranteed
- Cardinal signs of inflammation cause clinical symptoms -redness, swelling, pain, raised temperature and loss of function- and urge the patient to seek medical attention
- A physician always alert to the cardinal signs of inflammation – local or systemic – will never neglect or delay diagnosis, investigation and treatment
- Communicating to the patient the protective nature of the inflammatory response, its likely duration and mitigating the more severe symptoms will ensure patient’s compliance with treatment and patience with recovery
- Caution: underlying diseases like malnutrition, diabetes or immunosuppression that prevent an effective inflammatory response must be recognized, and patients alerted to unfavorable outcomes while instituting a modified treatment plan
