Learning objectives
By the end of this lesson you should be able to;
An injury is any physiological damage to the body of a human as a result of immediate physical stress. The occurrence of an injury can be intentional or unintentional. An injury can be caused by blunt trauma, burning, penetrating trauma, toxic exposure, overexertion, or asphyxiation. Injuries may occur in any body part, and different injuries have different symptoms. Injuries are normally treated by a health professional. The most common and fatal accidental injuries come from traffic collisions.
Injuries are different from infections, medical procedures, psychological trauma, or chronic conditions. However, injury can be a contributing factor to the cases stated above.
Occurrence of injuries
Injuries can be intentional or unintentional. Intentional injury can be violent acts against others or against self. Accidental or unintentional injuries are unforeseeable, or they may be a result of negligence. The most common unintentional injuries in the world come from traffic accidents, burns, drowning, and falls. Some types of injuries occur more in developing areas like traffic injuries, while others like scalding burns are more likely to occur in developed countries.
Around 5 million people die each year as a result of injuries. Traffic accidents contribute approximately a third of the deaths. One-sixth of all deaths are as a result of suicide, and one-tenth are through homicide.
Classification of injury
The classification of injury is based on; the mechanism of injury, substances or objects producing injury, activity when injured, and place of occurrence.
Traumatic injury: this type of injury results from an external object making forceful contact with the body, causing a wound. Major trauma refers to a severe traumatic injury with the potential to cause death or disability. Traumatic injury is the number one cause of death for people below the age of 45 years.
Injuries from blunt trauma can cause bruising or internal bleeding. This is because of the capillaries beneath the skin rapture.
Penetrating trauma injuries are a result of external objects entering the body through the skin. Injuries from low-velocity penetration are caused by sharp objects like stab wounds, while injuries from high-velocity penetrations are caused by ballistic projectiles like gunshot wounds. Perforated injuries have both entry and exit wounds. Puncture wounds result in an entry wound only.
An abrasion is a form of an open wound that occurs as a result of the skin rubbing off against a rough surface.
Burns: Burn injury results from contact with extreme temperature, radiation, or chemicals. The effects of burns are different depending on the size and depth. First-degree burns affect the epidermis, leading to short-term pain. Partial thickness burns result in weeping blisters that require dressing. Third-degree or full-thickness burns affect the whole dermis and are prone to infection. Fourth-degree burns affect deep tissues like bones and muscles, therefore, causing loss of the affected area. An abscess may also occur as a result of a burn.
The leading type of burn is thermal burn. It is caused by contact with excess heat including flame, hot surfaces, or scalding burns resulting from steam or hot water.
Electrical burns arise from contact with electricity. They are often deeper burns and affect lower tissues as electricity enters the skin. The full extent of electrical burns may not show. They cause extensive destruction to tissues at entry and exit points. Electrical burns can induce respiratory arrest or cause cardiac arrest.
Chemical burns are caused through contact with corrosive substances like alkali or acid. The treatment of most chemical burns involves extensive water application to remove chemical contaminants.
Treatment of injury
Traumatology is the scientific study of traumatic injuries as well as injury repair. Some injuries can be treated by specialists. Some serious injuries require trauma surgery. Treatment of serious injuries can be followed up with physical and occupational therapy for rehabilitation.
Medication is often used to treat injuries.
Pain management is also part of injury treatment. Pain can serve as an indicator of the severity of an injury. Analgesic drugs are used to relieve pain.
We’ve learned that;
