Blast Lung Injury - What Clinicians Need To Know

At a glance..

Basic clinical information is provided here to inform practitioners of the presentation, evaluation, management, and outcomes of BLIs. You will also find a reference list for more information about how to treat injuries from explosions.

The details..

"Blast Lung Injury: What Clinicians Need to Know" is an informative guide that focuses on the unique triage, diagnostic, and management challenges presented by blast lung injuries (BLI). BLI is caused by the impact of high explosive detonations upon the body. The book highlights how this type of injury can result in tearing, hemorrhage, contusion, edema with resultant ventilation-perfusion mismatch leading to respiratory difficulty and hypoxia.

The author emphasizes that current patterns in worldwide terrorist activity have increased potential casualties related to explosions. However few civilian health care providers have experience treating patients with explosion-related injuries. As such emergency care providers are urged to learn more about physics behind explosions as well as other types of injuries that may occur during these events.

The book details clinical presentation which includes symptoms like dyspnea or chest pain; signs including tachypnea or cyanosis; associated pathology such as bronchopleural fistula or air emboli along with possible presence of other injuries. Diagnostic evaluation methods include chest radiography which reveals characteristic "butterfly" pattern upon x-ray among others like arterial blood gases or doppler technology depending upon nature & extent of explosion event.

In terms 0f managing BLI, initial triage,resuscitation,treatment,and transfer should follow standard protocols.However some diagnostic/therapeutic options may be limited in disaster/mass casualty situation.Clinical interventions include administering supplemental oxygen sufficient enough preventing hypoxemia,intubation if necessary,warrants prompt decompression etc.Disposition/outcome depend upon associated injuries,current social situation,eventual discharge decisions will also depend on patient's complaints/findings suspicious for BLI.