Skin Injury Repair and Aging

Flashcards covering key concepts and terms related to skin injury repair and aging.

Hemostasis

The stopping of bleeding; involves vasoconstriction, platelet plug formation, and fibrin formation.

Vasoconstriction

The constriction of blood vessels to reduce blood loss at an injury site.

Platelet plug

A temporary aggregation of platelets at the site of injury that helps to stop bleeding.

Fibrin formation

The final step in clotting where fibrin strands form a mesh to stabilize the clot.

Inflammatory phase

The stage following hemostasis characterized by increased blood flow, swelling, and immune response.

Histamine

A chemical released during inflammation that causes vasodilation and increases blood flow, leading to redness and swelling.

Exudate

Fluid that leaves blood vessels and enters interstitial space during inflammation, causing swelling.

Extravasation

The process of immune cells leaving blood vessels to reach the injured tissue.

Proliferative phase

The stage of wound healing where fibroblasts produce connective tissue and new blood vessels form.

Angiogenesis

The formation of new blood vessels during the healing process.

Granulation tissue

New connective tissue that forms on the wound site during the proliferative phase.

Reepithelialization

The process where keratinocytes migrate to cover the wound, restoring the epidermal layer.

Remodeling phase

The final stage of healing where collagen is reorganized to strengthen the skin.

Keloid

An overgrowth of scar tissue that rises above the normal skin surface.

Moisture in wound healing

Keeping wounds moist is essential for promoting effective cell migration and tissue repair.

Systemic factors affecting wound healing

Overall health conditions like diabetes, age, and smoking that can impact the wound healing process.

Burn classification

Classification of burns into first, second, and third degrees based on depth of skin damage.

Rule of nines

A method to estimate the percentage of a person's body surface area that has been burned.

Aging skin changes

Changes in older patients include thinning skin, reduced blood supply, and decreased sweat gland activity.

Langerhans cells

Macrophage-like cells in the skin that help in immune response, reduced in elderly.