Getting into a car crash can result in a plethora of unpleasant injuries. Though some injuries get a lot of press and attention such as spinal cord and head trauma, other injuries do not often get spoken of.
This includes crush injuries, which are almost always notably severe. But what exactly are they?
Severity of crush injuries
Up To Date discusses serious crush injuries in adults. Crush injuries typically involve a part of the body getting smashed, run over, hit or otherwise flattened by a heavy or large object. For example, someone could end up with crush injuries in an earthquake if a large piece of furniture falls on them. Another person might experience a crush injury when someone accidentally drives over their foot with a large truck.
The full severity of these injuries depends on several factors that can include the victim’s age and health, the size and weight of the object that did the crushing, and the length of time that the object stayed in contact with the victim.
Differences between extremity and torso
Crush injuries to the torso and the extremities often have different main concerns, too. For example, a crush injury to the torso could potentially result in organ failure. Organs may have to work harder to compensate for the ones crushed, which can lead to them failing, too.
However, with extremity crush injuries, the biggest risks often involve sepsis, necrosis, gangrene and infection. The lack of blood flow to the area can easily cause tissue death and may result in amputation or even death.
All crush injuries have a base level of moderate severity, though. It is important to seek immediate medical attention.