What is the most common cause of death in a blast victim?
The most common cause of death in a blast event is secondary blast injuries. These injuries are caused by flying debris generated by the explosion. Terrorists often add screws, nails, and other sharp objects to bombs to increase injuries.
What is blast injury?
Blast injuries are characterized by anatomical and physiological changes from the direct or reflective over-pressurization force impacting the body’s surface. The HE “blast wave” (over-pressure component) should be distinguished from “blast wind” (forced super-heated air flow).
How do you treat blast injuries?
Tertiary blast injuries of the extremity may result in traumatic amputations, fractures, and severe soft-tissue injuries. Quaternary injuries most often are burns. Following treatment and stabilization of immediate life-threatening conditions, all patients are given antibiotic and tetanus prophylaxis.
What organ is being targeted for blast injuries?
The ear is the organ most susceptible to primary blast injury. Acoustic barotrauma commonly consists of TM rupture. Hemotympanum without perforation also has been reported.
What kind of blast injury is due to toxic materials absorbed by the body?
Quaternary blast injuries: Quaternary blast injury is everything else not caused by primary, secondary or tertiary mechanisms. Examples include burns, angina, crush injuries, asthma or COPD exacerbations due to dust, smoke or toxic fumes.
What happens to a human body in an explosion?
Direct, Primary Effects The main direct, primary effect to humans from an explosion is the sudden increase in pressure that occurs as a blast wave passes. It can cause injury to pressure- sensitive human organs, such as ears and lungs.
What is quaternary blast injury?
Quaternary blast injuries include burns, inhalation lung injury, and asphyxia caused by inhalation of incomplete combustion of explosion materials (e.g., carbon monoxide, cyanide), toxic dust, gas, and radiation exposure. Materials used in incendiary bombs can cause severe burns.
How do you survive a blast wave?
Go inside a strong building, move toward its center, and shelter away from windows, doors, and exterior walls to best protect yourself. Avoid radioactive fallout that arrives minutes later by staying indoors, ideally belowground in a basement.
What is the difference between a primary blast secondary blast and tertiary blast?
Primary blast—unique to high-order explosives; results from the impact of the over-pressurization wave with body surfaces by the blast wave. Secondary blast—results from flying debris and bomb fragments causing shrapnel wounds. Tertiary blast—results from individuals being thrown by the blast wind.
What are the three phases of blast injuries?
Pathophysiology
- Primary Blast Injury. Primary blast injury is caused by the blast wave moving through the body.
- Secondary Blast Injury. Secondary blast injuries are caused by debris that is displaced by the blast wind of the explosion.
- Tertiary Blast Injury.
- Quaternary Blast Injury.
Why do you open your mouth during an explosion?
Explosions create waves of increased pressure, followed by negative pressure, which can be extremely damaging to ears and internal organs. Keeping ones mouth open is said to equalize pressure, therefore reducing internal damage.
What are the secondary injuries in a blast?
Secondary blast injuries 1 Penetrating ballistic (fragmentation or blunt injuries) 2 Eye penetration 3 Closed or open brain injuries
How are blast injuries defined in the DoD?
To define the scope of injuries caused by exposure to blast, the Department of Defense (DoD) adopted the Taxonomy of Injuries from Explosive Devices, which is codified in Department of Defense Directive (DoDD) 6025.21E and provides a common framework for characterizing blast injuries within the DoD.
What kind of injuries can blast overpressure cause?
Blast overpressure can crush the body and cause internal injuries. Primary blast injuries are the only category of blast injuries that are unique to the blast or high pressures that occur and include: Concussion (mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) without physical signs of head injury)
What are the symptoms of abdominal blast injury?
• Clinical signs of blast-related abdominal injuries can be initially silent until signs of acute abdomen or sepsis are advanced. • Standard penetrating and blunt trauma to any body surface is the most common injury seen among survivors. Primary blast lung and blast abdomen are associated with a high mortality rate.
Secondary blast injuries 1 Penetrating ballistic (fragmentation or blunt injuries) 2 Eye penetration 3 Closed or open brain injuries
To define the scope of injuries caused by exposure to blast, the Department of Defense (DoD) adopted the Taxonomy of Injuries from Explosive Devices, which is codified in Department of Defense Directive (DoDD) 6025.21E and provides a common framework for characterizing blast injuries within the DoD.
Blast overpressure can crush the body and cause internal injuries. Primary blast injuries are the only category of blast injuries that are unique to the blast or high pressures that occur and include: Concussion (mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) without physical signs of head injury)
• Clinical signs of blast-related abdominal injuries can be initially silent until signs of acute abdomen or sepsis are advanced. • Standard penetrating and blunt trauma to any body surface is the most common injury seen among survivors. Primary blast lung and blast abdomen are associated with a high mortality rate.