Pathophysiology of blasting injuries

Abstract

Explosions have the capability to cause multisystem, life-threatening injuries in single or multiple victims simultaneously. The physical and chemical effects of blasting: overpressure, fragments, acceleration, fire and poisoning gases cause special injuries of human body. Many times these injuries don’t have any external symptoms, but often occur severe amputation and destruction or death. The health service specialists and military personnel should to know and recognize the blast effects. These special damages are classified on the base of the mechanism, because these determine the seriously and the type of injuries, and these influence the treatment, the healing, the complications and the residual symptoms. The most often damaged organs are the ear, the lungs, the bowel and the brain, but the fragment can hurt on the total surface of body. In this presentation I give some information and explanation from mechanism and classification of blast injuries.