Running head: INFLAMMATION 1

Inflammation

Name

Institutional Affiliations
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Wound Infection Case Study (Cut)

Inflammation Physiological Mechanism

Inflammation Physiological Mechanism

The event of a cut prompts the body to take action to prevent continuous bleeding that

may be dangerous to the patient. The first physiological mechanism, therefore, involves blood

clotting and scab formation after which healing of the wound begins to replace lost tissue. Guo &

DiPietro (2010) explains that the clotting of blood exposed to the air on the injury leading to scab

formation has benefits other than preventing excessive loss of blood. During a cut as in the case

study, the scab forms only a few minutes to a couple of hours for the blood to clot and the scab to

form. However, beneath, the wound, the healing process continues gradually. The formation of

the scab, therefore, protects the wound from exposure to dirt debris and infectious pathogens

(Guo & DiPietro, 2010). The scab stays over the wound as it heals over time. Such should be the

case, but most injuries end up infected, mainly due to the environment and the type of care. The

presence of other symptoms and the appearance of the wound helps to determine the presence of

an infection.

From the symptoms and the nature of the wound, the caregiver should be able to offer the

best type of intervention to avoid a septic wound that may lead to a more severe infection. Guo

& DiPietro (2010) explains that it is easy to identify an infected cut wound. The red gash,

swelling, and warmer temperature on the injury suggest that there is a lot of action with the body

trying to fight the pathogens that are infecting the wound. The skin is usually the body’s first line

of defense and secretes the acid mantle. The acid mantle lines the skin regulating pH,

maintaining the normal flora microorganism on the skin that prevents the entry of pathogens

(Chen et al., 2018). Normal flora rarely causes an immune reaction. With the immune system
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already affected any microorganism that gets to the wound may cause an infection leading up to

symptoms such as fever, edema, and increased pain. Bacteria colonization is the first common

infection, and the most prevalent bacterium in wound infections is the Staphylococcus aureus

(Chen et al. 2018). Complications emerge when such bacteria colonize areas that may be difficult

to reach and treat quickly. For example, an infection of the subcutaneous layers of the skin

leading to cellulitis or the bone leading to osteomyelitis is a common reason for a non-healing

wound. Septicemia, which involves an inflammation of the entire body due to bacteria on the

blood, is also common but in deadly severe injuries.

Wound and Internal Organ Inflammation Difference

Pathogens, dangerous compounds, and dead cells are the leading causes of inflammation

in the human body. Inflammation is the immune response from the body to the infection by

initiating healing or osmoregulation to remove the dangerous compound from the body. When

inflammation affects the internal body organs, then it is chronic inflammation. However, the

manifestation of symptoms in inflammation of a wound is different from those that involve an

internal organ. For instance, the physical position of internal organs (without pain nerve endings

and where temperature changes are not that apparent), may lead to no pain or temperature change

for internal organ inflammation (Chen et al., 2018). Pneumonia, for instance, which is an

inflammation of the lung does not manifest as pain.

Immunological events in wound inflammation

The immune response from the body usually depends on the type of the wound, and the

presence and type of infection. In this case study, Carlton, the patient is diagnosed with a cut

wound that is becoming infectious. Infection occurs during healing, and the type of injury sounds
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like a normal cutaneous cut wound and if deep not too much to create a lethal effect such as an

inflammation of the blood. Ellis, Lin & Tartar, (2018) explains such cutaneous healing to be a

delicate process involving intricacies between the immune system and keratinocytes and the

dermal cells. The method of wound healing involves four main stages of homeostasis,

inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling.

Homeostasis

During the homeostasis stage, the body creates an action that increases the introduction of

the individual towards suppressing the blood loss caused by the injury. The homeostasis stage,

therefore, lasts only a few minutes and may not be more than a few hours for the body to readjust

to its normal functioning. The process is quite typical. First is a cascade of enzyme precursors

which are inert in their standard form. These enzymes, followed by activator proteins that ignite

the serine protease process that results in the activation of platelets and formation of fibrin clot

(Ellis, Lin & Tartar, 2018).

Inflammation

The inflammatory stage quickly follows whereby the body gets rid of possible pathogens

that may have contacted the organization, foreign debris, and cell repair to prevent further tissue

damage. The stage is primarily characterized by neutrophil activation and formation. Neutrophils

help in infiltrating the wound and function by removing debris and preventing infection by

phagocytosing pathogens through releasing proteases and antimicrobial proteins (Ellis, Lin &

Tartar, 2018). Neutrophils, therefore, play the leading role of transitioning the wound through its

healing process and even help in signaling the end of the inflammation stage leading up to

wound healing.

Proliferation
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The proliferation stage receives the name due to the proliferation of cells that facilitate re-

growth and repair of lost tissue. Some of the physiological processes during this stage include the

migration of keratinocytes, formation of granular cells, revascularization and regrowth of

epithelial tissue. The process involves a series of signals from immune cells and macrophages to

activate the healing process.

Repair/Remodeling

This is the last stage of the wound healing and is also the longest-lasting from weeks to

even as long as years. During the remodeling, the body and the skin are supposed to achieve its

original function and physical appearance. As such, the granulation stops and scarring occur

where the weak collagen type III that lead to granulation are replaced by stricter type I collagen

(Ellis, Lin & Tartar, 2018). Myofibroblasts that form from mechanical tension on fibroblast lead

to the contraction of the wound.

Role of Vitamin A and C

Vitamin A and C play a substantial role in the healing process of a wound. Vitamin A for

one plays an instrumental role during the inflammation stage to facilitate the killing of pathogens

and to increase the body defensive capabilities against foreign microorganism. The purpose of

vitamin A involves increasing the inflammatory response through enhanced lysosomal

membrane lability, increases macrophage influx, and collagen stimulation that encourages

healing (Chow & Barbul, 2014). Vitamin C similarly contributes to collagen formation and

contraction of the wound during proliferation and reformation. Chow & Barbul, (2014) points

out that the vitamin is a co-factor in the production of lysine and proline residues of procollagen

that enhance toughness and stability of collagen fibers that help to recover the wound opening.
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Vitamin A & C is thus vital in activating processes that lead up to the normal functioning of the

body from the inflammatory to the regrowth stages of healing.

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References

Chow, O., & Barbul, A. (2014). Immunonutrition: role in wound healing and tissue

regeneration. Advances in wound care, 3(1), 46-53.

Ellis, S., Lin, E. J., & Tartar, D. (2018). Immunology of wound healing. Current dermatology

reports, 7(4), 350-358.

Chen, L., Deng, H., Cui, H., Fang, J., Zuo, Z., Deng, J., ... & Zhao, L. (2018). Inflammatory

responses and inflammation-associated diseases in organs. Oncotarget, 9(6), 7204.