What is muscle crushing?
Crush injury is defined as compression of extremities or other parts of the body that causes muscle breakdown (traumatic rhabdomyolysis). Systemic consequences of crush injuries are as follows: rhabdomyolysis, electrolyte and acid-base abnormalities, hypovolemia, and acute renal failure.
Can a muscle be crushed?
Crush syndrome (also traumatic rhabdomyolysis or Bywaters’ syndrome) is a medical condition characterized by major shock and kidney failure after a crushing injury to skeletal muscle.
What happens to your body when you get crushed?
When your body is crushed between two objects, muscle cells begin to die almost instantaneously. Three mechanisms within the body cause the cells to die: lysis, ischemia, and vascular compromise. Lysis refers to the immediate disruption of cells that occurs when a part of the body is crushed.
What happens to a body when crushed in a building collapse?
Once the compressive forces are released, muscle injury and swelling can occur, with possible muscle necrosis and neurologic dysfunction in the affected areas. Systemic manifestations resulting from crush injury, which is defined as crush syndrome, can result in organ dysfunction or death.
What is traumatic rhabdomyolysis?
Abstract. Crush syndrome or traumatic rhabdomyolysis constitutes the systemic changes seen after crush injury, i.e. the damages seen after a prolonged period of pressure on a muscle group.
What are 2 possible complications of a crush injury?
Damage related to crush injuries include: Bleeding. Bruising. Compartment syndrome (increased pressure in an arm or leg that causes serious muscle, nerve, blood vessel, and tissue damage)
How does a crush injury cause muscle death?
The force of the crushing object ruptures muscle cells. The direct pressure of the object on the limb causes muscle cells to become ischemic. The combination of mechanical force and ischemia can cause muscle death within an hour. The force of the crush injury compresses large vessels, resulting in the loss of blood supply to muscle tissue.
What happens to the body when crushing forces are removed?
The crushing forces act as a dam preventing the toxins from being released to the rest of the body. When the force is removed, the toxins are allowed to quickly flow through the body, causing a multitude of problems. Along with the release of toxins after extrication, the victim can become severely hypovolemic from the third spacing of fluid.
How does the force of a crush injury cause circulatory ischemia?
The force of the crush injury compresses large vessels, resulting in the loss of blood supply to muscle tissue. A. Muscles can survive circulatory ischemia for up to four hours before cell death. B. After four hours, the cells begin to die as a result of the circulatory compromise.
What are the treatment options for crush injuries?
The use of arterial tourniquets before the release of a crushing injury site may be beneficial. 9. After extrication, immediate care may include transporting the patient to a facility with hyperbaric chamber capabilities in order to decrease issue necrosis and muscle edema. A cool PP presentation on treating crush injuries!