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Blast Injury

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Abstract

Blast injuries are an increasing problem in both military and civilian practice.1 “Blast injury” refers to the biomechanical and pathophysiological changes and the clinical syndrome resulting from exposure of the living body to detonation of high explosive. Recently published figures from the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq indicate that approximately 46% of combat casualties treated initially by Forward Surgical Teams had suffered injuries associated with explosions (blast injury).2 These data are broadly supported by data published from the Walter Reed Army Medical Center (in Washington) showing that 31% of US combat casualties evacuated back to this specialist hospital in the US had suffered blast injuries3. More recent data indicate a higher proportion of casualties (71%) are injured in explosions.4

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Acknowledgment

This chapter contains a significant amount of material published in an earlier chapter45,158 but also addresses additional aspects and important updates. The sections on primary blast injury to the auditory system and intestinal injury are adapted with permission from Baskin & Holcomb.157

© British Crown copyright 2010/DSTL – published with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office.

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  1. Biomedical Sciences, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP4 0JQ, UK

    Emrys Kirkman

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  1. Emrys Kirkman
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  2. Neal Jacobs
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  3. Giles R. Nordmann
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  4. Stuart Harrisson
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  5. Peter F. Mahoney
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  6. Sarah Watts
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Correspondence to Emrys Kirkman .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Surgery, Div. Traumatology &, University of Pennsylvania Medical Ctr., Spruce St. 3400, Philadelphia, 19104, Pennsylvania, USA

    Adam J. Brooks

  2. , Academic Department of Military Surgery, Frimley Park Foundation Trust, Surrey, GU16 7UJ, United Kingdom

    Jon Clasper

  3. Royal Centre for Defence Medicine, Institute of Research & Development, Acad. Dept. of Military Surgery & Trauma, Vincent Drive, Birmingham, B15 2SQ, United Kingdom

    Mark Midwinter

  4. Birmingham Research Park, Acad. Dept. of Military Emergency Med., Vincent Drive, Birmingham, B15 2SQ, United Kingdom

    Timothy J. Hodgetts

  5. Inst. Research & Development, Dept. Military Anaesthesia, Royal Centre for Defence Medicine, Vincent Drive, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2SQ, United Kingdom

    Peter F. Mahoney

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Kirkman, E., Jacobs, N., Nordmann, G.R., Harrisson, S., Mahoney, P.F., Watts, S. (2011). Blast Injury. In: Brooks, A., Clasper, J., Midwinter, M., Hodgetts, T., Mahoney, P. (eds) Ryan's Ballistic Trauma. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84882-124-8_10

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