General Medical Information

Inflammatory Phase

David J. Terris

An intense inflammatory reaction begins simultaneously with the coagulation phase. This inflammation is marked by a suffusive infiltration of leukocytes, which migrate through vessel walls by a process known as diapedesis. Polymorphonuclear leukocytes predominate during the first 24 to 48 hours. These motile leukocytes scavenge and engulf cellular debris, foreign bodies, and any other byproducts of the wounding event. The white cell population in the wound then shifts such that monocytes predominate. The monocytes mature into macrophages, which contribute to the continued cellular debridement.

In a typically clean surgical wound, this inflammatory reaction subsides over a period of several days; it can, however, continue for weeks in a contaminated posttraumatic wound.