About this topic
If a part of your body is trapped between two objects and squeezed, you will have a crush injury. It may not look too bad from the outside. There may only be bruises on the skin. The bones, nerves, and muscles inside may be very badly injured. You may have bleeding and swelling. There is often damage to tissues and blood vessels as well. Treatment will depend on what part of the body was hurt. It will also depend on how strong the force was and how long the part was crushed. ‚
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What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do.
- Take your drugs as ordered by your doctor.
- If you have had surgery, talk to your doctor about how to care for your cut site. Ask your doctor about:
- When you should change your bandages
- When you may take a bath or shower
- If you need to be careful with lifting things over 10 pounds
- When you may go back to your normal activities like work or driving.
- Wash your hands before and after touching your wound or dressing.
- Wear loose clothing over the injured part. Good blood supply is important for healing.
- Place an ice pack or a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a towel over the painful part. Never put ice right on the skin. Do not leave the ice on more than 10 to 15 minutes at a time.
- Prop the injured area on pillows. Raise it just above the level of your heart if possible.
What follow-up care is needed?
- Your condition needs close monitoring. Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep these visits.
- Your doctor will tell you if other tests are needed.
- If you have stitches or staples, you will need to have them taken out. Your doctor will often want to do this in 1 to 2 weeks.
- Your doctor may send you to a physical therapist or a rehab center.
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Prevent or help fight an infection
- Control bleeding
- Help with pain
- Prevent blood clots
- Prevent tetanus
- Treat other conditions caused by your crush injury
Will physical activity be limited?
Talk with your doctor about what exercises are good for you. You may have to limit movement of the wounded body part. Avoid doing activities that will pull or strain the muscles of the injured part. ‚
What problems could happen?
- Long-lasting injury to muscle and nerves
- Injured part needs to be removed
- Long-term pain
- Infection
What can be done to prevent this health problem?
- Wear the right equipment when working with heavy machines. This includes protective clothing, shoes, and safety equipment.
- Wear proper equipment when playing sports.
- Always pay attention to moving vehicles in your workplace and on the streets.
- Never work in a ditch if the walls have not been properly supported to prevent collapse.
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Signs of infection. These include a fever of 100.4 ‚ °F (38 ‚ °C) or higher, chills.
- Signs of wound infection. These include swelling, redness, warmth around the wound; too much pain when touched; yellowish, greenish, or bloody discharge; foul smell coming from the wound; wound opens up.
- Pain you cannot control
- Cannot get around to care for yourself
- Trouble breathing
- Swelling or pain in the leg or arm
- Lots of bleeding
- Health problem is not better or you are feeling worse
Helpful tips
If your wound suddenly bleeds, put pressure on the area to help stop the bleeding. Call your doctor right away. ‚
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my condition.
- I can tell you how to care for my injured area.
- I can tell you what may help ease my pain.
- I can tell you what I will do if I have trouble breathing or there is more swelling in my arm or leg.
Where can I learn more?
Better Health Channel ‚
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcArticles.nsf/pages/Farm_safety_crush_injuries?open ‚
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ‚
http://emergency.cdc.gov/masscasualties/blastinjury-crush.asp ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
Copyright
Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚