Inflammation: Infection
Too much of a good thing is . . . too much. The inflammatory response
while essential to wound healing can cause devascularization of
surrounding tissue and even abscess formation. The presence of
bacteria or foreign material keeps the acute phase of the
inflammatory response going, resulting in chronic inflammation
and poor or even disastrous wound healing. The moral of this
story is keep those wounds clean, and in folks who may be prone to
infection (people with diabetes, AIDS, or cancer, for example)
special precautions to avoid infection may be indicated.
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Photo courtesy of Keith Stone M.D. , University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida