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