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)