Blunt Injuries
Written by Rhiana Devadasan
25) Blunt injuries. Bruises. Compressions. Crush syndrome. Traumatic decollement.
26) Blunt head injury. Commotion, contusion, cerebral compressions.
27) Blunt thoracic & abdominal injuries.
Blunt trauma = physical non-penetrating trauma to a part of the body (that stems from forces like compression/crushing, shearing/tearing, acceleration and deceleration), as opposed to penetrating trauma, in which an object enters the body.
Blunt trauma is the initial trauma. After this, more specific types develop, such as contusions, abrasions, lacerations and/or bone fractures.
WOUNDS CREATED AS A RESULT OF BLUNT TRAUMA ARE KNOWN AS VULNUS CONTUSUM.
Causes:
Blunt trauma may result from direct injury, deceleration or rotational forces. Most common cause = motor vehicles. Severity of injuries is dependent on the speed and mass of the vehicle; whether the occupants were restrained; and interaction of occupants and pedestrians with vehicle parts.
Signs & symptoms:
Skin abrasions, bruising, seat belt imprints, rib fractures, abdominal tenderness, distension, absent bowel sounds, shock, haematuria. Most commonly injured organs are spleen and liver.
Management & Treatment:
- Initially focused on ABCs (airway, breathing, circulation)
- FAST and CT imaging are used to detect intraabdominal bleeding & organ damage
- Chest x-ray is the most important diagnostic tool in assessment of blunt chest trauma
- Treatment depends on the specific injury, as well as the hemodynamic status of the patient
- Conservative management w/ close monitoring is indicated for hemodynamically stable patients
- However, emergency surgery is often necessary
Classification:
- Blunt cranial trauma (traumatic brain injury)
- Blunt thoracic trauma
- Blunt abdominal trauma
- Blunt trauma to extremities
- Blunt pelvic trauma