COMPOSITION OF EXUDATE
Exudate is the product of the inflammation process, which contains water, electrolytes, nutrients, inflammatory mediators, white cells, protein-digesting enzymes (e.g. matrix metalloproteinases – MMPs), growth factors and waste products all suspended in serum (White & Cutting, 2006; Barrett, 2015).
| Component | Function |
|---|---|
| Fibrin | Clotting |
| Platelets | Clotting |
| Polymorphonucleocytes (PMNs) | Immune defence, production of growth factors |
| Lymphocytes | Immune defence |
| Macrophages | Immune defence, production of growth factors |
| Microorganisms | Exogenous factor |
| Plasma proteins, albumin, globulin, fibrinogen | Maintain osmotic pressure, immunity, transport of macromolecules |
| Lactic acid | Product of cellular metabolism, indicates biochemical hypoxia |
| Glucose | Cellular energy source |
| Inorganic salts | Buffering, pH hydrogen ion concentration in a solution |
| Growth factors | Proteins controlling factor-specific healing activities |
| Wound debris/dead cells | No function |
| Proteolytic enzymes | Enzymes that degrade protein, including serine, cysteine, aspartic proteases and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) |
| Tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPS) | Controlled inhibition of metalloproteinases |
Table showing some constituents of exudate and their functions (White & Cutting, 2006; Barrett, 2015)