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Walk the Even Hospital Database by book and chapter — the raw source passages that ground Ask, DDx, and the rest.
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Inflammation is an essential aspect of the innate defense mechanism of the body against infectious or noninfectious etiologies. This mechanism is nonspecific and immediate.[1] The 5 fundamental signs of inflammation include heat, redness, swelling, pain, and loss of function. Increased blood flow leads to redness and heat, while swelling results from fluid accumulation. Pain arises from releasing stimulating chemicals, and loss of function reflects a combination of factors. These signs are evident in acute surface inflammation but may not all be observable in internal acute inflammation, particularly within internal organs.[2] Inflammation can be categorized into 3 types based on the duration of the response to the injurious cause—acute inflammation, which manifests immediately after injury and typically lasts for a few days; chronic inflammation, which can persist for months or even years if acute inflammation fails to resolve; and subacute inflammation, a transitional phase from acute to chronic lasting from 2 to 6 weeks.[3] Acute inflammation initiates following a specific injury, triggering the release of soluble mediators such as cytokines, acute phase proteins, and chemokines. These substances promote the migration of neutrophils and macrophages to the inflammation site, representing a crucial component of the innate immune response during acute inflammation.[4] If the acute inflammation does not quickly resolve, it progresses to subacute inflammation. If inflammation persists beyond 6 weeks, it transitions from subacute to chronic, marked by the migration of T lymphocytes and plasma cells to the site of inflammation. Prolonged inflammation without recovery leads to tissue damage and fibrosis.[3] Additional varieties of cells, such as macrophages and monocytes, also contribute to acute and chronic inflammation.[5]