Many different injuries may occur due to a car crash, with some of the most common involving the head, neck and back.
However, catastrophic injuries can and do often occur, too. This includes problems like third-degree burns or crush injuries which demand immediate and specific treatment.
Immediate lethality of crush injuries
Up To Date looks into the impact crush injuries can have. A crush injury occurs when any larger and/or heavier object runs over, impacts, falls on, or otherwise crushes any part – or the entirety – of a person’s body.
Crush injuries can involve such high levels of weight that the pressure alone can kill a victim in minutes or even seconds. Asphyxiation serves as one of the most common ways this occurs, as a victim simply cannot expand their chest enough to draw in any oxygen.
However, even in less immediately lethal situations, risks still exist that can put a victim’s life on the line. The two most common and potentially deadly risks include infection and organ failure.
Infections
Infection often occurs as a result of crush injuries to the extremities. Tissues can die off quickly when the supply of oxygen and blood gets cut off completely. The tissue will necrotize, leaving an opening for bacteria. This can cause issues like gangrene, which may eventually lead to amputation.
Organ failure
Organ failure happens when too much of a burden ends up placed on specific organs. Some may fail due to a cut-off of blood and oxygen supplies, while others may overwork in an attempt to make up for the organs that already failed.
In either situation, death can occur within hours or even less time, making this a truly lethal injury.