Types of Blast Injury

Different types of injury may follow exposure to an explosion based on differences in mechanism.

Type of Blast Injury	Mechanism	Specific Injuries
primary	direct impact of the shock wave affecting gas-containing organs	blast lung injury, ear injury, intra-abdominal injury
secondary	penetrating injuries from objects propelled by the shock wave	shrapnel, debris, other displaced missiles
tertiary	traumatic injury caused by victim being thrown by the blast wave	falls, impalement, blunt impact injuries
quarternary	injuries caused by environmental changes triggered by the explosion	crush injuries from collapsed buildings, burn injury, toxic inhalations, vehicle crash injuries

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