Question

Patient Profile

G.N., a 65-year-old African American man, was admitted to the hospital emergency department with partial-thickness burns that involved his face, neck, and upper trunk. He also had a lacerated right leg. His injuries occurred about 36 hours earlier when he fell out of a tree onto his gas grill (which was lit) while trimming tree branches.

Subjective Data

• Complains of slightly hoarse voice and irritated throat

• States that he tried to treat himself because he does not have health insurance

• Has been coughing up sooty sputum

• Complains of severe pain in left hip

Objective Data

Physical Examination

• Leg wound is gaping and has drainage: temperature 101.1° F (38.4° C)

• X-rays reveal a fractured right tibia and fractured left hip

Laboratory Studies

• WBC count 26,400/µL (26.4 × 10⁹/L) with 80% neutrophils (10% bands)

Interprofessional Care

• Surgery is performed to repair the left hip.

Discussion Questions

1. What clinical manifestations of inflammation did G.N. exhibit, and what are their pathophysiologic mechanisms?

2. What type of exudate formation did he develop?

3. What is the basis for the development of the temperature?

Answer 1

1) From the given data, the patient was admitted in the hospital due to partial-thickness burns and had a lacerated right leg. From the physical examination and lab result, the clinical manifestations of inflammation or the response by body's immunity system, we can see the patient exhibit are -

• Temperature of 101.1° F (38.4° C) with cough and throat issue, which is considered a high fever for 65 year old man - Fever acts as a inflammation by raising the body temperature and stimulates the immune response.
• WBC count of 26.4 × 10⁹/L is an high rate, a normal WBC count is 4.5-11×10⁹/L, if an infection causing bacteria enters into the body, the bone marrow starts producing WBC to help fight off that infection.

2) Exudate is a pus like or clear fluid formation caused when an injury occurs and starts leaking from the blood vessels. There are four types of Exudate - Serous, Sanguinous, Serosanguineous and Seropurulent.

The exudate formation that the patient developed is , Serous drainage ( thin and clear wound). The patient was admitted with lacerated right leg which tells that he had clear and deep cut.

3) The development of the temperature due to the antigens and antibody reaction in the body. The body's immune system tries to fight against the infection and bacteria, fever or high temperature is one of the reaction to that as some bacteria or infection does not live in high temperature.

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