Question

Question: A school-aged child asks the nurse why his wound has a scab on it. The nurse walks the child through the inflammatory phase of wound healing. Place the steps of the inflammatory phase in proper sequence.

1 Clot loses fluid and becomes hard (scab protects the area).

2 Capillaries increase permeability, allowing plasma to leak into the area.

3 Following brief period of constriction, vessels dilate.

4 Platelet activation initiates blood clotting.

5 Injury occurs on playground.

6 Injured blood vessels vasoconstrict.

Answer 1

The proper sequence of the inflammatory phase following a playground injury involves vasoconstriction of injured vessels, dilation, increased capillary permeability.

Step-by-step explanation:

When explaining the inflammatory phase of wound healing to a school-aged child, it is important to discuss the correct sequence of events that occur after an injury. Here is the proper sequence:

1. Injury occurs on the playground (5).
2. Injured blood vessels vasoconstrict to minimize blood loss (6).
3. After a brief period of constriction, vessels dilate to increase blood flow to the injury (3).
4. Capillaries increase permeability, which allows plasma and white blood cells to leak into the area, supporting the inflammatory response (2).
5. Platelet activation begins, which initiates blood clotting to prevent further bleeding (4).
6. The clot loses fluid and becomes hard, forming a protective scab over the wounded area (1).

The scab serves not only to protect the wound from infection but also allows the underlying tissue to heal properly. This process is essential for reducing blood loss and initiating the repair of the damaged skin.