Inflammation which is part of the innate immune system is a process by which the body responds to injury by protecting it from infections and foreign substances using the body's white blood cells. “Inflammation can be defined as the body's local vascular and cellular response to injury caused by factors that invade and injure the body from the outside (exogenous factors) or by factors internal to the body that result in cellular or tissue damage (endogenous factors)” (Battle, 2009, P 238). Factors such as bacteria, viruses, burns, frostbite, chemical irritants, immune reactions, and physical injury are examples of factors that can cause inflammation through different mechanisms. It is a rapid response protective mechanism that neutralizes or destroys injury-causing agents and creates a barrier that limits injury and prevents its spread to normal tissues (Battle, 2009). In addition, it contains elements that remove debris and heal the wound generated by the injury. It can be divided into acute and chronic inflammation. Acute inflammation is the body's initial response following an injury. “Acute inflammation is short-term and can be measured in hours or days” (Battle, 2009, P 238). This response is achieved through the release of leukocytes and plasma into injured tissues. The predominant cells in acute inflammation are neutrophils. This inflammatory response involves the local vascular and immune system within the tissue. There are five cardinal signs signifying acute inflammation: 1) warmth and 2) redness due to increased blood flow to the injured person...... middle of paper ...... as. Retrieved from http://www.chronicdiseaseimpact.com/Battle C: Essentials of Public Health Biology. Sudbury, Mass.: Jones and Bartlett; 2009. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/Center for Disease Control and Prevention: Deaths: Leading Causes for 2006. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr58/nvsr58_14. pdfCenter for Disease Control and Prevention: Top Twenty Causes of DALYs: Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/basics/YLDs.htmlInflammatory Remedy: Chronic Inflammation. Retrieved from http://www.inflammationremedy.com/herbal-remedies/inflammationremedy/chronic-inflammationRobert Wood Johnson Foundation: Chronic Conditions: Making the Case for Continuing Care. Retrieved from http://www.rwjf.org/qualityequality/product.jsp?id=14685