Blast Injuries

Blast injuries

Injuries caused by explosions, classified into four mechanisms: primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary.

Primary blast injuries

Caused entirely by the blast’s pressure wave affecting the body.

Primary blast effects

Can disrupt major blood vessels, rupture eardrums, and injure major organs including the lungs.

Hollow organ susceptibility

Hollow organs are most vulnerable to pressure wave damage.

Primary blast amputations

Severe pressure waves can amputate limbs.

Secondary blast injuries

Result from being struck by flying debris such as shrapnel, glass, or splinters propelled by the explosion.

Debris velocity

Objects from an explosion can travel at tremendous speeds, up to nearly 3,000 mph.

Tertiary blast injuries

Occur when the patient is hurled against stationary objects by the force of the explosion.

Blast wind and pressure wave

The sudden atmospheric change creates a pressure wave that throws the body.

Ground shock

Physical displacement of the body during tertiary blast injuries, especially when impacting the ground.

Quaternary blast injuries

Miscellaneous injuries from explosions not included in primary, secondary, or tertiary categories.

Quaternary blast injury examples

Include burns from hot gases or fires, respiratory injury from toxic gases, suffocation, poisoning, medical emergencies, crush injuries from building collapse, contamination of wounds, and mental health emergencies.