A client cuts herself with a sharp knife while cooking dinner. The client describes how the wound started bleeding and had a red appearance almost immediately. The nurse knows that in the vascular stage of acute inflammation, the vessels:

Question

A) Bleed profusely until the body can compensate and start to send fibrinogen to the wound
B) Vasodilate causing the area to become congested causing the red color and warmth
C) Constrict as a result of "fight/flight" hormone release resulting in pale-colored skin
D) Swell to the point of compromising circulation causing the limb to become cool to touch

Answer 1

Ans: B
Feedback:
Vasodilation allows more blood and fluid into the area of injury, resulting in congestion, redness, and warmth. Vasodilation is quickly followed by increased permeability of the microvasculature. The loss of fluid results in an increased concentration of blood constituents (red blood cells, leukocytes, platelets, and clotting factors), stagnation of flow, and clotting of blood at the site of injury. This aids in limiting the spread of infectious microorganisms. The loss of plasma proteins increases fluid movement from the vascular compartment into the tissue space and producing the swelling, pain, and impaired function that are the cardinal signs of acute inflammation.