Crushing injuries, which are possible in auto accidents or because of accidents due to dangerous property conditions, are life-altering wounds. When someone suffers from a crushing injury, an area of the body is crushed severely and releases dangerous toxins. Those toxins build up in the body and have the potential to kill the person when the weight of the crushing object is removed.
Whether this injury is from dangerous conditions or a car crash, it’s vital that the patient receives emergency care as quickly as possible and that they know that they have an opportunity to file a claim. If another person is responsible for their injuries, then they should provide them with compensation. This is a costly injury and one that may take many weeks, months or years of recovery.
What happens to the body after a crush injury?
After an object crushes the body, there are two things that can happen. The victim may develop compartment syndrome as well as crush syndrome.
Compartment syndrome happens when extra pressure builds up in a space within the body. This leads to extreme pain in that region and results in poor circulation. Untreated, this may lead to tissue death. Patients with this condition need to have a fasciotomy immediately, which is when medical professionals will cut open the fascia to relieve tension.
Crush syndrome is another serious effect of a crushing injury. This syndrome is a reperfusion injury, which means that it occurs when blood travels from the parts of the body that were injured to the uninjured areas.
When pressure is released from the crushing object, the muscle cell contents that gathered into the blood following the injury spread throughout the body. This may result in renal failure, hypovolemic shock or metabolic abnormalities.
In both crush and compartment syndrome cases, amputation may be suggested if the injuries are severe enough or if reperfusion would be more dangerous than removing the limb.
Victims of crush injuries deserve fair treatment
Those who suffer crush injuries deserve to be compensated for their injuries. Those who cause serious collisions or who don’t take care of their properties should be responsible for covering those financial losses and for providing support.