When blood and fluid flow into the vascular space and produce edema, erythema, heat, and pain, the nurse knows that the wound is in which phase?

Inflammatory phase

Explanation:

This is the second  phase  of wound healing,which is   natural body response to injury. it begins with the trransudation (discharge)from the injured blood vessels  at the wound site of water, salt and protein fragments;leading to localized swelling.

Thus the inflammatory phase leads to  arrest of   bleeding at the site

The swelling  leads to engorgement of the injured area, which enable the cells for healing and repair( white blood cells WBC) to migrate to the injured site.  At this phase ,damaged cells and pathogens are removed from the wound area.

The sequence of  reactions  of WBC at the wound site, with the growth factors,and enzymes explained the   distinct redness, swelling, and pain characterized with the  inflammatory phase .thus  this phase also prevents infection.