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Chapter-04 Management of Ballistics Injuries

BOOK TITLE: Principles and Practice of Trauma Care

Author
1. Sinha VK
ISBN
9789350257173
DOI
10.5005/jp/books/11942_4
Edition
2/e
Publishing Year
2013
Pages
19
Author Affiliations
1. Armed Forces Medical College, Pune, Maharashtra, India
Chapter keywords

Abstract

Blast and blast related injuries are the commonest injuries encountered in war and terrorist incidents. The blast wave has the following characteristics: It travels like sound wave through and around the objects in its path. The effect in a given medium decreases in direct proportion to the distance from the blast. The blast produces injury in one or more of the ways. The injuries caused by the blast wave or the primary injury. The injuries caused by missiles-the bomb casing, the shrapnel’s or other objects energized /propelled by the blast, e.g. flying debris, glass, stones, pieces of concrete etc. These injuries are termed as the secondary injuries. The injuries caused by the blast wind either directly or indirectly. They are termed as the tertiary injury .Burns caused in the immediate vicinity of the blast or sustained in the ensuing fire. Crush injuries caused by the collapse of building, bunker or a bridge. Injuries caused in the inevitable stampede. Gun-shot wounds have become more frequent in the recent decades due to easy availability of fire arms to terrorist groups and criminals. The incidence of primary blast injury in the lung has varied from 8-8.4%. The diagnosis of blast injury lung is based on symptoms and signs such as dyspnea, cyanosis, hypoxia and bloody tracheal secretions. Radiological features on X-ray chest are linear or patchy diffuse infiltrates, pneumothorax and or haemothorax. Pulmonary insufficiency may manifest shortly after exposure to the explosion or may develop during the first or second day thereafter. Patients are very sensitive to intravenous fluids which may precipitate pulmonary edema. Injuries to the abdomen may be penetrating or non-penetrating. Management of penetrating injuries is no different as that of gun-shot wounds while for non-penetrating injuries it is important to establish the presence or absence of intra-peritoneal hemorrhage or perforation of hollow viscous. Secondary missile injuries and tertiary blast injuries should be treated with debridement and dressing followed by delayed primary sutures or skin grafting.

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