Infarction refers to which of the following?

• A. Temporary reduced blood flow
• B. Inflammation of arteries
• C. Bacterial infection of tissue
• D. Tissue death due to lack of blood

Answer: (D)

Infarction is tissue death caused by lack of blood supply. When a blood vessel is blocked, the region it nourishes becomes ischemic. If the blood flow isn’t restored in time, the cells undergo necrosis, leading to an infarct in that area. This is different from simply having reduced blood flow, which is ischemia and may be reversible if perfusion returns. It’s also not inflammation of arteries (vasculitis) or a bacterial infection of tissue, which are other processes. The specific idea here is that death of tissue results from prolonged deprivation of oxygen and nutrients due to blocked blood flow.