Inflammation and Healing Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering vascular and cellular inflammatory responses, cell types, exudates, types of inflammation, wound healing intentions, and nursing management.

Inflammation vs. Infection

Inflammation is a protective vascular and cellular response that is always present with infection, whereas infection is caused by invasion of microorganisms and is not always present with inflammation.

Pathophysiology Map of Inflammatory Response

A diagram showing how cell injury triggers vascular and cellular responses, leading to chemical mediator release, leukocyte migration, phagocytosis, and exudate formation.

Fibrinogen

A plasma protein activated to fibrin during the vascular response to form a clot that traps bacteria, prevents injury spread, and provides a framework for healing.

Momentary Vasoconstriction

A brief, short-lived tightening of blood vessels and arterioles that occurs immediately after tissue injury prior to vasodilation.

Prostaglandins

Proinflammatory chemical mediators that act as potent vasodilators, increase blood flow and edema, inhibit platelet and neutrophil aggregation, sensitize pain receptors, and stimulate fever in the hypothalamus.

Local Vasodilation

The widening of blood vessels at an injury site caused by chemical mediator release, increasing blood flow (hyperemia) and producing clinical redness and warmth.

Increased Capillary Permeability

A vascular reaction where vessel walls become leaky, allowing fluid and albumin to escape into tissue spaces, resulting in local edema (swelling).

Chemotaxis

The directional migration of white blood cells (WBCs) along a chemical concentration gradient directly to the site of cellular injury.

Margination

The process during cellular response where white blood cells move to and stick against the inner endothelial lining of blood vessel walls.

Diapedesis

The movement of white blood cells squeezing through tiny openings in blood vessel walls to enter surrounding tissue.

Neutrophils

First responder phagocytic leukocytes that arrive at an injury site within $6\text{ to }12\text{ hours}$, have a short lifespan of $24\text{ to }48\text{ hours}$, and accumulate with cellular debris as pus upon cell death.

Shift to the Left

An increased proportion of immature neutrophils (bands) released into circulation from bone marrow, commonly seen in patients with acute bacterial infections.

Monocytes

Secondary phagocytic cells arriving at an injury site that transform into macrophages, performing phagocytosis of debris to cleanse the area over a long lifespan of weeks.

Lymphocytes

White blood cells that arrive later to the site of injury to facilitate long-term immune responses, including antibody production.

Fluid Exudate

An inflammatory exudate primarily composed of plasma fluid leaking out of permeable blood vessels into tissue spaces.

Cell Exudate

An inflammatory accumulation consisting of dead cells, white blood cells, and tissue debris at the injury site.

Leukocytosis

A systemic manifestation of inflammation characterized by an elevated circulating white blood cell count.

Acute Inflammation

An inflammatory process lasting $2\text{ to }3\text{ weeks}$ where neutrophils are the predominant cell type, typically leaving no residual tissue damage after healing.

Subacute Inflammation

An inflammatory condition that presents with features of acute inflammation but persists longer, lasting for weeks or months.

Chronic Inflammation

An inflammatory process lasting weeks, months, or years due to persistent tissue injury, predominantly involving lymphocytes and macrophages.

RICE Protocol

An acronym for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation, representing key conservative interventions for managing soft tissue injury and acute inflammation.

Regeneration

A component of healing involving the replacement of damaged cells and tissues with structural cells of the exact same type.

Repair

The most common healing mechanism where lost tissue cells are replaced with connective tissue, occurring via primary, secondary, or tertiary intention.

Primary Intention

Healing of a clean wound with well-approximated sutured edges through initial, granulation, and maturation/scar contraction phases.

Secondary Intention

Healing of wounds with extensive tissue loss and irregular margins that form granulations from the edges inward and bottom upward, resulting in a larger scar.

Tertiary Intention

Delayed primary wound closure where a contaminated or infected wound is intentionally left open and subsequently sutured after the infection is controlled.

Skin Tear

A wound caused by shear, friction, or blunt force leading to the separation of skin layers, commonly occurring in older adults.

Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT)

A treatment using continuous or intermittent suction to remove fluid, exudate, and bacteria from acute or chronic wounds while enhancing blood flow to the wound bed.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT)

The systemic administration of $100\%$ oxygen at elevated atmospheric pressure for $90\text{ to }120\text{ minutes}$ per session to promote angiogenesis, enhance leukocyte activity, and speed wound healing.

Becaplermin (Regranex)

A topical platelet-derived growth factor gel used as pharmacological therapy to promote healing in chronic wounds.

Serious Reportable Event (SRE)

A hospital-acquired Stage 3 or Stage 4 pressure injury, also referred to as a 'never event' in health care management.