VIDEO: CRUSH INJURIES
Other than an active arterial bleed, the most life-threatening of traumatic injuries in a natural disaster might be the crush injury. In the case of crush injuries, bleeding presents as severe bruising or an accumulation of blood known as a “hematoma”. Swelling and tissue death make treating the crush injury complex and problematic. This is partially due to a condition known as “compartment syndrome” may occur. When the muscles and tissues are deprived of blood for too long after a crush injury, there is a chance that nerves will become damaged and muscle tissue may not survive the trauma. Compartment syndrome can occur in any part of the body that is crushed and trapped between two objects for too long.
The dilemma is that in any serious crush injury, toxins from damaged/dying tissues may flood the body after the crushing object is removed, leading to everything from irregular heartbeats to kidney failure. Find out more about crush injuries in Dr. Joe Alton’s video below:
This video is a companion to Dr. Alton’s recent article on the same subject.
Wishing you the best of health in good times or bad,
Joe Alton MD
Find out more about crush injuries in the award-winning 700 page Third Edition of the Survival Medicine Handbook: The Essential Guide for When Medical Help is Not on the Way. Plus, check out Nurse Amy’s entire line of medical kits and supplies at store.doomandbloom.net.
