Inflammation Case Study: Marcus and the Garden Incident
Patient Name: Marcus Lee
Age: 24
Occupation: Graduate student and part-time landscaper
Chief Complaint: Painful, swollen cut on left hand with pus and fever
🧾 Case Summary
Marcus was trimming rose bushes without gloves and accidentally cut his hand on a thorn. He cleaned it quickly but didn’t cover it. Two days later, the area around the cut became red, swollen, and warm. By the third day, pus had formed, and Marcus developed a low-grade fever and fatigue. He visited urgent care, where the clinician diagnosed a localized bacterial infection with signs of acute inflammation.
🔬 Discussion Questions
- What are the four signs of inflammation and what causes each one?
- Bacteria have entered Marcus’ wound and have started to multiply. What is his body likely doing to defend itself? Be specific with at least 4 different parts of the immune system and how they react to an invader. Tell me if these you mentioned are part of the innate or adaptive immune system.
- Why might Marcus’s low-grade fever be a good thing? What does a fever do specifically to slow down the infection?
- What might happen if the infection is not treated?
- Marcus’ bacterial infection will probably be treated with antibiotics. Give me an example of an antibiotic and tell me how it works. Would the antibiotics work if he had a viral infection? Why or why not?