When working in the field of construction, you will often face many unusual and unique risks that people in other fields of work do not have to worry about. Crush injuries fall into this category.
Though crush injuries can happen at any job, they hold the highest rates of occurrence at construction sites. But why is that the case? What impact do crush injuries have on you? And what can you expect if you end up involved in a crush injury incident?
Factors that influence crush injury outcomes
Medline Plus discusses crush injuries, a medical issue in which part of the body gets crushed by a larger and/or heavier object. The outcome of this incident and relating severity of the injury will depend on several factors, including:
- Your health at the time of the incident
- The size and weight of the crushing object
- How fast it hit you or fell on you
- How long it took professionals to remove the item
- How long it took you to get professional medical attention
- Where on your body the object hit
Biggest complication risks
For example, if you suffered a crush injury to the hands or feet, one of your biggest concerns will come in the form of amputation risk. It is possible for a limb or extremity to suffer damage to the point of tissue necrotizing and dying, meaning surgeons will often have no choice but to amputate the area.
As for trunk injuries, organ failure serves as a major risk. It is possible for sepsis or gangrene to occur, or for organs to suffer from deprivation of oxygen and blood flow and go into failure. This is particularly catastrophic for any of the primary organs, and even if you get medical help, permanent damage may happen.
The faster you get treatment, the lower the chance of this permanent damage becomes. Thus, you want to work quickly when you suffer from such a medical emergency.