The body’s inflammatory response is a defense mechanism against harmful agents or damage, but a sustained response can lead to cell destruction. The systemic inflammatory response is an indicator of cancer and can be measured by c-reactive protein levels. Symptoms vary in severity and unchecked responses can lead to organ failure. Causes include trauma, surgery complications, burns, drug overdose, or infection.
A systemic inflammatory response occurs when the entire body mounts an inflammatory response to a threat. An inflammatory response is one of the body’s defense mechanisms against harmful agents or damage. When a harmful agent enters the body or the body is damaged, blood surges in the affected area. The excess blood carries nutrient-laden fluids and white blood cells needed to heal damage or defeat invasion. If the systemic response continues over a period of time, the body can start hurting itself.
It’s important to note that an inflammatory response isn’t always harmful. The purpose of an inflammatory response is to contain and control an infection or to heal damage. Many times the body does this without any harmful effects to itself. The initial inflammatory responses are called acute inflammation. A sustained response is called chronic inflammation and can lead to cell destruction.
The systemic inflammatory response is an indication that something has gone wrong in the body. For example, it is one of the indicators of cancer. Doctors can detect and measure the severity of the response by looking at the amount of c-reactive protein in the body. These proteins are produced in the liver as a response to inflammation. Therefore, in general, the more c-reactive proteins present in the body, the more severe the inflammatory response.
There are several symptoms that are related to the systemic inflammatory response. These symptoms vary according to the severity of the reaction. In mild cases, the person will have general fatigue and lethargy. Moderate cases will also see a change in temperature. Severe cases will have symptoms of shock, such as decreased blood pressure, increased heart rate, and a change in alertness.
When the body has a systemic response even though there is no infection, it is called systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). Criteria for SIRS include a heart rate over 90 beats per minute, a body temperature below 98.6°F (36°C) or above 100.4°F (38°C). Criteria also include a white blood cell count of less than 4000 cells per mm3 or more than 12000 cells per mm3 or less than 10% immature neutrophils, a type of white blood cell. When there is a source of infection, the response is called septic. Either way, if the response continues unchecked, it could lead to organ failure.
There are several causes for a systemic inflammatory response. Some include trauma, surgery complications, and burns. The systemic inflammatory response can also be caused by a drug overdose or an infection. In each of these cases the body is simply trying to get rid of the harmful agents or to heal itself. If the initial, mild inflammatory response isn’t effective at healing the damage or defeating the invader, the body will ramp up its attack until it does.
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