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. ‚
A crush injury may be very serious. You should see a doctor right away. ‚
View OriginalView Original
View OriginalView Original
What are the causes?
Accidents often cause crush injuries. You may be hurt from: ‚
- Car, motorcycle, all terrain vehicle (ATV) crashes
- Falls or having something fall on a part of your body
- Accidents with heavy machines
- Being pinned between objects
- A ditch or deep hole collapsing
- Natural disasters such as landslides and earthquakes
What are the main signs?
- Pain
- Swelling
- Bleeding
- Damaged skin
- Numbness
- Loss of feeling in the affected part
- The affected area is cold to touch or turns blue
- Change in urine color, especially becoming darker or brown
- Breathing trouble if the injury is to the chest
- Throwing up if the injury is to the belly
How does the doctor diagnose this health problem?
Your doctor will check the skin over the injured area. The doctor will also check the injured part for pain, broken bones, and trapped air. You may be asked to try and move the injured area if possible. The doctor may use special tools to check for too much pressure from swelling inside the injured part. The doctor may order: ‚
- Lab tests
- X-ray
- CT or MRI scan
How does the doctor treat this health problem?
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. Your doctor will decide the best treatment for your injury. ‚
You may need many different kinds of treatment. Depending on your injury, you may need: ‚
- To have your wounds cleaned and cuts stitched shut. This is the case if you only have skin damage, cuts, and bruises.
- Surgery on your blood vessels. This may also stop there from being too much pressure from swelling inside the injured part. You may also need surgery to stop bleeding or fix broken bones. Injury to nerves or internal organs may cause you to need surgery as well.
- To have broken bones fixed or put back in place. You may need to wear a cast or sling to help keep the bone in the right place.
- Fluids or blood through an I.V. line. This is more likely if you have very bad injuries.
Are there other health problems to treat?
- Blood vessels, muscles, and nerves are squeezed by other swollen tissues. This may cause serious damage. There may be long-lasting injury to the muscles and nerves if this is not treated. The muscles may die and the injured part may need to be removed (amputated). This is called compartment syndrome.
- Problems after blood flow is restored to a crushed area. If the blood flow was blocked for a long time, the muscles may release a harmful substance when the blood starts to flow to them again. This substance may cause problems like shock, and heart or kidney failure. This is a reperfusion injury.
- Wound infections or whole body infection
What lifestyle changes are needed?
You need to get a lot of rest while your body is healing. Sleep when you are feeling tired. Avoid doing tiring activities. Talk to your doctor about the right amount of activity for you. ‚
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
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.
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. ‚