Knowra Blast injury Blast injury Blast injury is physical harm caused by an explosion’s pressure wave, fragments, heat, or bodily displacement. Its effects range from isolated wounds to multisystem trauma.
Primary blast injury : Injury caused directly by the pressure wave of an explosion, especially to air-filled organs. The pressure wave can rupture lungs, damage ears, and injure the bowel without visible wounds.
Traumatic amputation : The loss of a body part through sudden injury rather than planned surgery. Explosions can cause traumatic amputations through fragments, structural collapse, or bodily displacement.
Blast wave : A pressure disturbance that travels outward from an explosion, with a sudden rise followed by a fall in pressure. Its intensity and duration help determine the risk of primary blast injury.
Penetrating trauma : Injury caused when an object pierces the skin and enters the body. Fragments cause penetrating trauma, but blast injury also includes pressure and displacement effects.
Secondary blast injury : Injury caused by fragments and debris propelled by an explosion. Flying material causes penetrating wounds that may conceal damage to major vessels or organs.
Compartment syndrome : A dangerous rise in pressure within a closed muscle compartment that restricts blood flow. Crush injuries from blast-related collapse can trigger a condition requiring urgent treatment.
Overpressure : Pressure above the surrounding atmospheric pressure, including the transient increase produced by an explosion. Peak overpressure is one measure used to describe the force acting on the body.
Blunt trauma : Injury caused by impact or force without an object penetrating the body. Blast-driven impacts cause blunt trauma, which is only one part of the full injury picture.
Tertiary blast injury : Injury caused when an explosion propels a person into an object or the ground. Bodily displacement produces blunt trauma, fractures, and head or spinal injury.
Traumatic brain injury : Brain dysfunction or damage caused by an external mechanical force. Blast exposure can injure the brain through impact, acceleration, or pressure-related mechanisms.
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