A 42-Year-Old Man with a Chief Complaint of Pain, Redness, and Swelling of the Right Calf

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A 42-Year-Old Man with a Chief Complaint of Pain, Redness, and Swelling of the Right Calf The case of a 42-year-old man with a chief complaint of pain, redness, and swelling of his right calf presents a medical problem that can be understood by analyzing the symptoms. The patient presented the symptoms described due to likely low immunity and infection of the wound. Persons with depressed immunity are likely to suffer from high fever when injured due to a lack of the necessary mechanism to protect wounds and speed up the healing process. The patient was cut into his leg by a string trimmer, causing an injury that seems to have worsened with time due to low immunity that may have caused inflammation diseases.

2 Severe inflammation is associated with high fever and chills as well as swelling and reddening of the area around the wound (Brown, 2023). Inflammation is usually part of the immune system's response to injury or infection. However, when it is severe and prolonged, it is a sign that the body's immunity is compromised. Swelling from inflammation is characterized by pain, fever, and skin redness, which were recorded by the patient.

Moreover, the use of water from a garden hose to clean the wound before bandaging may also have predisposed the patient to infection because it is likely to be contaminated by harmful chemicals and microorganisms. Pathogens can infect an open wound if found in water used to clean the injured place (Brown, 2023). In this case, the patient did not apply antiseptic in cleaning the wound after using garden hose water, which predisposed him to potential infection.

Genetic factors may contribute to creating a condition for inflammation or inflammation itself, which underlines the need to understand the type of genes that influence the disease. The genes that may be associated with the diseases are rs143383, CXCL8, and TNFAIP3. s143383 is responsible for the growth and maintenance of bones, muscles, and tendons, which makes it integral in the healing of wounds (Loos & Van Dyke, 2020). When the gene is suppressed, injured muscles take a long to heal, exposing the injured place to inflammation as more blood cells accumulate in the area. All of them are linked to inflammation (Loos & Van Dyke, 2020). The function of CRP is felt to be related to its role in the innate immune system. Similar to immunoglobulin (Ig)G, it activates complement, binds to Fc receptors, and acts as an opsonin to different pathogens that may attack the wounded place to cause more infections. In a nutshell, inappropriate immunological reactions to injury can lead to inflammation.

The process of immunosuppression can start with the killing of immune effector cells or the blockage of intracellular pathways necessary for antigen recognition as well as other

3 elements used in the immune response. Once the effector cells have been tampered with or pathways blocked, the body cannot respond to attacks well, which leaves it vulnerable to diseases such as inflammation (Salminen, 2021). In inflammation, immunosuppression is characterized by a buildup of pro-inflammatory mediators, intrusion of immune suppressor cells, and stimulation of immune checkpoint pathways in effector T cells to the detriment of the body's immunity system (Salminen, 2021). In essence, the process of immunosuppression involves the prevention of allograft rejection through inhibiting cytokine production, cell activation, differentiation, and production.

4 References Brown, A. (2023). Differentiating between cellulitis/erysipelas and alternative causes of 'red legs.' Journal of Community Nursing, 37(2).

Loos, B.G., & Van Dyke, T.E. (2020). The role of inflammation and genetics in periodontal disease. Periodontology 2000, 83(1), 26-39.

Salminen, A. (2021). Increased immunosuppression impairs tissue homeostasis with aging and age-related diseases. Journal of Molecular Medicine, 99, 1-20.