Crush Injuries (V2)

Course overview

Crush injuries can occur from many mechanisms. Crush injuries are not tracked numerically, so trying to quantify frequency and severity is difficult. From information gathered and according to the Electronic Library of Construction Occupational Safety and Health (ELCOSH) in 2001, 144 crush injuries were reported out of 737 injuries. Though the information does not indicate the patient outcomes, it does show that crush injuries are a common occurrence in the construction industry. These numbers do not account for farm accidents, entrapments in machinery, or patients trapped in vehicle accidents. The number of crush victims can potentially be staggering. The EMS provider should gain the skill to recognize when a potential for crush injury exists and prepare to treat the net effects of damaged tissue prior to extrication.