BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuCrush injuryA crush injury occurs when excessive force or pressure is put on a body part. This type of injury most often happens when part of the body is squeezed between two heavy objects.Damage related to crush injuries include:Bleeding BleedingBleeding is the loss of blood. Bleeding may be:Inside the body (internal)Outside the body (external)Bleeding may occur:Inside the body when blood le...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Bruising BruisingA bruise is an area of skin discoloration. A bruise occurs when small blood vessels break and leak their contents into the soft tissue beneath the s...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Compartment syndrome (increased pressure, usually in an arm or leg, that causes serious muscle, nerve, blood vessel, and tissue damage) Compartment syndromeAcute compartment syndrome is a serious condition that involves increased pressure in a muscle compartment. It can lead to muscle and nerve damage a...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Broken bone (fracture) Broken boneIf more pressure is put on a bone than it can stand, it will split or break. A break of any size is called a fracture. If the broken bone punctures...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Open wound (laceration) Open woundA cut is a break or opening in the skin. It is also called a laceration. A cut may be deep, smooth, or jagged. It may be near the surface of the s...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Nerve injury Infection (caused by bacteria that enter the body through a wound) First Aid Steps for first aid treatment of a crush injury are:Stop bleeding by applying direct pressure. Cover the area with a moist cloth or bandage. Then, raise the area above the level of the heart, if possible. If there is suspicion of a head, neck, or spinal injury, immobilize those areas if possible and then limit movement to only the crushed area. Call 911 or the local emergency number. Crush injuries most often need to be evaluated in a hospital emergency department. Surgery may be needed. Open ReferencesReferencesSheridan RL. Medical aspects of trauma and burns. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 97.Tang N, Levy MJ. Tactical emergency medical support and urban search and rescue. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap e16.Weinstein ES, Ragazzoni L. Introduction to structural collapse (crush injury and crush syndrome). In: Ciottone G, ed. Ciottone's Disaster Medicine. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 172.AllVideoImagesTog Tests for Crush injury CPK isoenzymes testRelated Information Cuts and puncture wounds(Injury)Broken bone(Injury)Bleeding(Injury)Bleeding into the skin(Symptoms)Compartment syndrome(Condition)Smashed fingers(Injury) Review Date: 11/2/2023 Reviewed By: Jesse Borke, MD, CPE, FAAEM, FACEP, Attending Physician at Kaiser Permanente, Orange County, CA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. © 1997- All rights reserved. A.D.A.M. content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.Content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.
Crush injuryA crush injury occurs when excessive force or pressure is put on a body part. This type of injury most often happens when part of the body is squeezed between two heavy objects.Damage related to crush injuries include:Bleeding BleedingBleeding is the loss of blood. Bleeding may be:Inside the body (internal)Outside the body (external)Bleeding may occur:Inside the body when blood le...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Bruising BruisingA bruise is an area of skin discoloration. A bruise occurs when small blood vessels break and leak their contents into the soft tissue beneath the s...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Compartment syndrome (increased pressure, usually in an arm or leg, that causes serious muscle, nerve, blood vessel, and tissue damage) Compartment syndromeAcute compartment syndrome is a serious condition that involves increased pressure in a muscle compartment. It can lead to muscle and nerve damage a...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Broken bone (fracture) Broken boneIf more pressure is put on a bone than it can stand, it will split or break. A break of any size is called a fracture. If the broken bone punctures...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Open wound (laceration) Open woundA cut is a break or opening in the skin. It is also called a laceration. A cut may be deep, smooth, or jagged. It may be near the surface of the s...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Nerve injury Infection (caused by bacteria that enter the body through a wound) First Aid Steps for first aid treatment of a crush injury are:Stop bleeding by applying direct pressure. Cover the area with a moist cloth or bandage. Then, raise the area above the level of the heart, if possible. If there is suspicion of a head, neck, or spinal injury, immobilize those areas if possible and then limit movement to only the crushed area. Call 911 or the local emergency number. Crush injuries most often need to be evaluated in a hospital emergency department. Surgery may be needed. Open ReferencesReferencesSheridan RL. Medical aspects of trauma and burns. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 97.Tang N, Levy MJ. Tactical emergency medical support and urban search and rescue. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap e16.Weinstein ES, Ragazzoni L. Introduction to structural collapse (crush injury and crush syndrome). In: Ciottone G, ed. Ciottone's Disaster Medicine. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 172.