Immunity and imflammation

5 Cardinal Signs of Inflammation

Redness

Heat

Swelling

Pain

Loss of Function

(Malaise)

Acute Inflammation Process

Tissue Damage / Vascular Change

Inflammation Mediators Released (Histamine & Prostaglandin)

Vascular Stage (Vasodilation, Increased Vascular Permeability, Exudation of Fluid)

Recruitment of Immune Cells from Blood

Removal of Infections, Toxins, Cell Debris

Types of Inflammatory Mediators and their Function

Histamine : Increases Vascular Permeability, Vasodilation

Prostaglandins : Vasodilation, Pain, Fever

Differences between Acute and Chronic Inflammation

Acute is a nonspecific early response to injury that only lasts a relative short duration

Chronic is recurrent or progressive acute inflammation that can last days or years, can also be caused by allergic disease such as asthma or hay fever.

Physical Acute-Phase Response

Systemic response by the body, caused by inflammation, infection, and/or tissue damage

Pathophysiology of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammation the bowel

Lacking evidence of causative agent

Pattern of familial occurrence (genetic)

Common remission and exacerbations

Crohn’s Disease

Can affect any part of the Digestive Tract (common in the Ileum then Colon)

Primarily affects the submucosa layer

Causes bowel wall to thicken

Surface of bowel wall develops cobblestone appearance

Manifestations of Crohn’s Disease

Fluid / Electrolyte disorder

Intermittent Diarrhea

Colicky pain, common in lower right quad.

Malaise / Low grade fever

Weight loss

Formation of fistula, intestinal obstruction, abdominal abcesses

Ulcerative Colitis

Confined to rectum & colon

Causes thickening of cell wall

Tongue like projections called pseudo-polyps form

Continuous inflammation

Lesions in crypts of Lieberkühn, causes pinpoint mucosal hemorrhages, leads to crypt abcesses

Manifestations of Ulcerative Colitis

Nocturnal Diarrhea

Diarrhea - stools contain blood and mucus

Mild abdominal fecal Incontinence

Fatigability, anorexia, weakness

Salicylates

Most notably: Aspirin

Action: Inhibits synthesis of prostaglandin, treats mild to moderate pain and fever.

Contraindications: Known allergy, bleeding abnormalities, impaired renal function, viral infection in children under 19.