This article outlines the inflammatory and immune response to infection, a complex physiologic process targeted at removing foreign invaders, or pathogens, from the body. The critical care nurse must understand the inflammatory and immune responses to infection to appreciate the local and systemic effects of infection in the body and the rationale for treatment modalities.
Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, 364 Frist Hall, 461 21st Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37240, USA