Changes

==Introduction==

==Introduction==

* Acute inflammation is characterised sudden onset and may last for a few hours to a few days.

Acute inflammation is characterised by a sudden onset and may last for a few hours to a few days. Vascular, humoral and cellular alterations cause the 5 cardinal signs of [[Inflammation|inflammation]] as a result of exposure of tissues to various causes.

* Vascular, humoral and cellular alterations cause the 5 cardinal signs as a result of exposure of tissues to various causes.

* Acute inflammation can:

*# Be fatal

Amazingly acute inflammation can be fatal when it becomes over-active. A classic example is septic shock caused by bacterial LPS. In most cases though acute inflammation acts to protect and repair the damage to the tissue by resolving by regeneration in association with the host defence mechanisms. To assist in resolving and controlling inflammation therapeutic measures have been developed, with some being very recognisable therapies, for example the Non-Steriodal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs e.g. Aspirin and Ibuprofen N.B. NOT paracetomal).

*# Resolve by regeneration in association with the host defence mechanisms.

*#* May be assisted by therapeutic measures.

*# Undergo repair by fibrosis.

A repair mechanism that can occur is fibrosis, otherwise known as scarring. There are also conditions, for example arthritis, where the acute inflammation can become chronic. First the inflammation goes through a subacute phase, though whether the inflammation becomes chronic is dependent upon the persistence of the agent and the amount of damage caused.

*# Become chronic.

*#* First goes through a subacute phase.

*#* Is dependent upon the persistence of the agent and the amount of damage caused.

==Sequence of Events==

==Sequence of Events==