PSAT Reading Practice Question 512

Question: 512

An Occupational Therapist Describes the Process of Wound Healing
Even when a laceration as small as a paper cut happens to a person, complex reactions
begin within the body almost instantaneously. Were these processes to be disrupted for any
number of reasons, even the most insignificant of scrapes could prove fatal for the victim.
Thus, it is of the utmost importance to know the typical progression for how a wound heals so
05that the afflicted can seek medical attention should the wound prove aggravated.
Immediately after the initial laceration transpires, the body responds and initiates action.
Known as the "inflammatory phase" of wound healing, this is when the body first begins to
repair the damage it encountered. In order to prevent excessive blood loss, the first step is
vasoconstriction in which the blood vessels near the affected area are constricted. Nearly
10concurrently, phagocytosis begins as white blood cells are sent to the wound. Phagocytes are
cells that consume the debris in the wound, which aids in the cleansing of damaged tissue as
well as foreign matter.
Phagocytosis is completed quite quickly-a mere 30 minutes for culmination and inception
of the next stage. Following the cleaning, mast cells arrive and release histamine which
15causes vasodilation; this opening of the blood vessels vastly increases the flow of fluid into the
affected area and results in the inflammation for which this stage is named. This inflammation
decreases the available capacity of the area and leads to increased amounts of pain and
discoloration in and around the wound site. From vasoconstriction to dilation, the inflammatory
phase may last between two days and two weeks (depending on the severity of the
20wound).
Following this somewhat preparatory stage, the proliferative phase marks the beginning
of the actual healing process. Within this second stage, there are four mini steps that
are crucial for the wound to close properly. Granulation is the first of these four steps. It is
indicated by the body beginning to lay down different connective tissues like collagen; these
25tissues help fill the empty space or hole created by the affliction. The body, however, is not
only constructed of connective tissue. Angiogenesis, the second of the four steps, is when the
body embarks on the arduous process of growing new blood vessels. Intertwining networks
of vessels are laid down, oft called capillary beds. These growing, weaving vessels give a new
wound its distinctive pink coloration. The third stage, wound contraction, is the first stage in
30which the raw edges of the wound begin to adjoin to each other. The wound does not experience
complete closure until the final stage of the four stages of proliferation-epithelization.
Epithelial cells-or skin cells-move over the granulated tissue from the first step. The four
stages of the proliferative phase can last anywhere from 3-21 days. The timeline is, once again,
dependent on how poignant the wound is.
35It is critical to be protective of a newly healed wound at the beginning of the third stage:
maturation. The new skin is quite fragile and can easily reopen if too much stress is placed on
it. The maturation stage can last up to two years as the scar forms and hardens. In some cases
the scar will disappear with time, but in others it's a permanent addendum to a person's body.
Even once the scar has fully matured, scar tissue is only 80% as strong as skin, meaning it is
40prone to re-injury.
Several factors can influence the quality and timeliness of wound healing, many of
which-circulation, chemical stress, temperature of the wound bed, amount of moisture in
and around the wound, and age-are outside the control of the individual. The individual can
control other factors, like nutrition, medication, and infection. Maintaining a well-balanced
45diet, consulting a doctor about medications, and keeping the wound site clean can all have a
positive effect on wound closure and healing.
The Wound Healing Process

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