Crush injuries represent some of the most potentially devastating injuries you can receive in a car crash or other catastrophic accident. Why? Because the complications inherent with crush injuries could result in amputation of one or more of your limbs or even in your death.
As reported by MedLine, a crush injury occurs when some part of your body, usually an arm or leg, becomes trapped between two hard surfaces that squeeze it beyond its limit to absorb the pressure. Other parts of your body at grave risk for sustaining a crush injury during a car crash include the following:
- Feet
- Hands
- Chest
- Neck
- Head
Crush injury symptoms
The immediate symptoms of a crush injury include the following:
- Intense pain
- Lacerations in and around your crushed body area
- Splintered bones in and around your crushed body area
- Excessive bleeding in and around your crushed body area
- Extensive muscle, ligament and nerve damage in and around your crushed body area that may well make it impossible for you to move the affected area
Crush injury complications
Infection represents one of the most common complications of a crush injury. This may well necessitate amputation of your affected limb or a substantial portion thereof.
Compartment syndrome represents another common crush injury complication. Here your body cannot contain the swelling caused by your injury. Your affected muscles consequently die from lack of oxygen due to the almost nonexistent blood circulation occurring in the fascia compartments that surround them. As part of the dying process, the muscles release toxins into your body that can lead to a systemic infection that quickly threatens your life.