In: Nursing
Sam, a 32-year-old male who works on a construction site visits his family physician three days after suffering a puncture wound in his foot from a nail gun. The site of the injury is painful, red, warm and swollen with evidence of pus. There are reddish streaks extending up his ankle and lower leg. His temperature is 38.3°C. Describe the molecular details on how the above signs and symptoms occurred.
The puncturing wound caused by the nail gun caused tissue damage and injury to Sam's foot tissues. This led to the start of process of inflammation at the site of injury which has the following molecular basis:
1. The damaged tissue releases mediators of inflammation such as histamine, prostaglandin and kininkinin which results in vasodilatation and capillary permeability to the area.
2. The lecocytosis inducing factor is released causing rise in WBC levels in blood. Increased blood flow increases the accumulation and migration of lymphocyte, monocyte and neutrophils at the site of injury.
3. The migration of leucocyte is followed by margination of leucocyte.
4. Vasodilatation of blood vessels caused increased blood flow to the site of injury resulting in increased temperature and redness. Increased tissue permeability causes leaking of proteins into the tissue space leading to swelling and pain.
5. Some leucocytes acts as phagocytes and carries phagocytosis of foreign particles and dead tissuestissues and pus may form.