Penetrating trauma Flashcards
What is the second leading cause of trauma death in the United States?
Penetrating trauma
After blunt trauma
How many deaths from firearms were reported by the CDC in 2017?
Over 38,000 deaths
Just under the number of deaths related to motor vehicles
What are some causes of low-energy penetrating trauma?
- Accidental impalement
- Intentional injury by knife, ice pick, or other weapon
Why is it often difficult to determine entrance and exit wounds in a prehospital setting?
The nature of the projectile and the injuries involved
Requires combining information on penetrating injuries with knowledge of potential pathways
What should be determined first in cases of penetrating trauma?
The number of penetrating injuries
What can cause more damage than the external wound might suggest in low-energy penetrations?
Deliberate movement of the weapon internally
In medium- and high-velocity penetrating trauma, what may not be easy to predict?
The path of the projectile
What is the term used to describe the path the projectile takes?
Trajectory
What type of bullets increase damage due to fragmentation?
Frangible bullets
How do full metal jacket bullets compare to fragmented rounds?
Cause less damage due to tendency to pass through tissues
What phenomenon results from rapid changes in tissue and fluid pressure caused by a projectile?
Cavitation
What are the two types of cavitation injury?
- Temporary cavitation injury
- Permanent cavitation injury
What causes temporary cavitation injury?
Stretching of tissues due to pressure changes
Where does permanent cavitation injury occur?
Along the path where the projectile has passed through the tissue
What should you remain alert for during assessment of penetrating trauma patients?
Various signs and symptoms depending on the affected organs
What factors influence the relationship between distance and severity of injury from a projectile?
The type of weapon involved, such as rifle, pistol, or shotgun.
What is air resistance in the context of projectile injuries?
Air resistance, referred to as drag, slows the projectile, decreasing penetration depth and energy.
What is the effect of a bullet on tissues during its path?
The bullet disrupts tissues directly in its path and those in its wake.
How does the area of damage from medium- and high-velocity projectiles compare to the diameter of the projectile?
The area damaged is typically many times larger than the diameter of the projectile.
Why are exit wounds often larger than entrance wounds?
Because the area damaged by medium- and high-velocity projectiles is larger.
What is more influential in the energy available for a bullet to cause damage?
The speed of the bullet rather than its mass.
If the mass of a bullet is doubled, what happens to the energy available to cause injury?
The energy available to cause injury is doubled.
If the velocity of a bullet is doubled, what happens to the energy available to cause injury?
The energy available to cause injury is quadrupled.
