What nature of inflammation is indicated by the predominance of neutrophils in a tracheal wash?

The predominant presence of neutrophils in a tracheal wash indicates acute inflammation. Neutrophils are the first line of defense in the immune response and are rapidly mobilized to sites of infection or injury. Their increase implies a response to a recent or ongoing inflammatory process, often resulting from factors such as bacterial infection, tissue damage, or irritants.

In acute inflammation, neutrophils act to phagocytize pathogens and debris, and their rapid influx is characteristic of this phase of immune response. Therefore, when observing a tracheal wash with a high number of neutrophils, it signals that the body is actively responding to an acute insult in the trachea, such as an infection or an acute irritant.