Tissue PO₂ Changes in Acute Inflammation

Abstract

The acute inflammatory response is a relatively stereotyped reaction of vascularised tissue to almost any kind of physical, chemical or biological irritant. The response is characterised by a primary “Vascular” phase, which is followed by a “cellular” phase. The two phases are not discrete in that the vascular changes continue during the initial period of cellular infiltration and neither are they of constant duration or intensity. Some forms of insult provoke chiefly a vascular reaction e. g. ionising radiation or thermal burns; others stimulate especially obvious accumulations of inflamatory cells e. g. staphylococcal infection. The time course of the response depends on the nature of the insult; for instance whether it is short lived or persistent or if it causes cell death or involves a major immunological component.