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Journal of Zhejiang University....The incidence of blast injury has increased recently. As the ear is the organ most sensitive to blast overpressure, the most frequent injuries seen after blast exposure... (Review)
Review
The incidence of blast injury has increased recently. As the ear is the organ most sensitive to blast overpressure, the most frequent injuries seen after blast exposure are those affecting the ear. Blast overpressure affecting the ear results in sensorineural hearing loss, which is untreatable and often associated with a decline in the quality of life. Here, we review recent cases of blast-induced hearing dysfunction. The tympanic membrane is particularly sensitive to blast pressure waves, since such waves exert forces mainly at air-tissue interfaces within the body. However, treatment of tympanic membrane perforation caused by blast exposure is more difficult than that caused by other etiologies. Sensorineural hearing dysfunction after blast exposure is caused mainly by stereociliary bundle disruption on the outer hair cells. Also, a reduction in the numbers of synaptic ribbons in the inner hair cells and spiral ganglion cells is associated with hidden hearing loss, which is strongly associated with tinnitus or hyperacusis.
Topics: Blast Injuries; Ear; Hearing Loss, Conductive; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural; Humans; Tympanic Membrane Perforation
PubMed: 29770646
DOI: 10.1631/jzus.B1700051 -
Chinese Journal of Traumatology =... 2015Explosive blast injury has become the most prevalent injury in recent military conflicts and terrorist attacks. The magnitude of this kind of polytrauma is complex due... (Review)
Review
Explosive blast injury has become the most prevalent injury in recent military conflicts and terrorist attacks. The magnitude of this kind of polytrauma is complex due to the basic physics of blast and the surrounding environments. Therefore, development of stable, reproducible and controllable animal model using an ideal blast simulation device is the key of blast injury research. The present review addresses the modeling of blast injury and applications of shock tubes.
Topics: Animals; Blast Injuries; Disease Models, Animal; High-Energy Shock Waves; Research
PubMed: 26764538
DOI: 10.1016/j.cjtee.2015.04.005 -
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal... Jan 2011Blast injuries are an increasing problem in both military and civilian practice. Primary blast injury to the lungs (blast lung) is found in a clinically significant... (Review)
Review
Blast injuries are an increasing problem in both military and civilian practice. Primary blast injury to the lungs (blast lung) is found in a clinically significant proportion of casualties from explosions even in an open environment, and in a high proportion of severely injured casualties following explosions in confined spaces. Blast casualties also commonly suffer secondary and tertiary blast injuries resulting in significant blood loss. The presence of hypoxaemia owing to blast lung complicates the process of fluid resuscitation. Consequently, prolonged hypotensive resuscitation was found to be incompatible with survival after combined blast lung and haemorrhage. This article describes studies addressing new forward resuscitation strategies involving a hybrid blood pressure profile (initially hypotensive followed later by normotensive resuscitation) and the use of supplemental oxygen to increase survival and reduce physiological deterioration during prolonged resuscitation. Surprisingly, hypertonic saline dextran was found to be inferior to normal saline after combined blast injury and haemorrhage. New strategies have therefore been developed to address the needs of blast-injured casualties and are likely to be particularly useful under circumstances of enforced delayed evacuation to surgical care.
Topics: Blast Injuries; Blood Pressure; Dextrans; Humans; Military Medicine; Models, Biological; Oxygen; Research; Respiratory Distress Syndrome; Resuscitation
PubMed: 21149352
DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2010.0240 -
Hearing Research Nov 2022The auditory system is particularly vulnerable to blast injury due to the ear's role as a highly sensitive pressure transducer. Over the past several decades, studies... (Review)
Review
The auditory system is particularly vulnerable to blast injury due to the ear's role as a highly sensitive pressure transducer. Over the past several decades, studies have used a variety of animal models and experimental procedures to recreate blast-induced acoustic trauma. Given the developing nature of this field and our incomplete understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying blast-related auditory disturbances, an updated discussion about these studies is warranted. Here, we comprehensively review well-established blast-related auditory pathology including tympanic membrane perforation and hair cell loss. In addition, we discuss important mechanistic studies that aim to bridge gaps in our current understanding of the molecular and microstructural events underlying blast-induced cochlear, auditory nerve, brainstem, and central auditory system damage. Key findings from the recent literature include the association between endolymphatic hydrops and cochlear synaptic loss, blast-induced neuroinflammatory markers in the peripheral and central auditory system, and therapeutic approaches targeting biochemical markers of blast injury. We conclude that blast is an extreme form of noise exposure. Blast waves produce cochlear damage that appears similar to, but more extreme than, the standard noise exposure protocols used in auditory research. However, experimental variations in studies of blast-induced acoustic trauma make it challenging to compare and interpret data across studies.
Topics: Animals; Auditory Threshold; Biomarkers; Blast Injuries; Cochlea; Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem; Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced
PubMed: 35181171
DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2022.108459 -
Chinese Journal of Traumatology =... 2015With the increasing incidence of blast injury, the research on its mechanisms and protective measures draws more and more attention. Blast injury has many... (Review)
Review
With the increasing incidence of blast injury, the research on its mechanisms and protective measures draws more and more attention. Blast injury has many characteristics different from general war injuries or trauma. For example, soldiers often have various degrees of visceral injury without significant surface damage, combined injuries and arterial air embolism. Researchers in China began to investigate blast injury later than the United States and Sweden, but the development is so fast that lots of achievements have been gained, including the development of biological shock tube, the mechanisms and characteristics of blast injury in various organs, as well as protective measures under special environments. This article reviews the past and current situation of blast injury research in China.
Topics: Animals; Blast Injuries; Brain Injuries, Traumatic; China; Disease Models, Animal; Ear; Eye Injuries; High-Energy Shock Waves; Humans; Lung Injury; Research
PubMed: 26764539
DOI: 10.1016/j.cjtee.2015.11.001 -
Journal of Neurotrauma Sep 2022This review examines how lessons learned from United States military conflicts, beginning with the United States Civil War through the engagements in Iraq and... (Review)
Review
This review examines how lessons learned from United States military conflicts, beginning with the United States Civil War through the engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan, have shaped current traumatic brain injury (TBI) care in the United States military, influenced congressional mandates and directives, and led to best practices in caring for the warfighter. Prior to the most recent war, emphasis was placed on improving the surgical and medical care of service members (SM) with severe and especially penetrating brain injuries. However, during the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, also known as the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT), blast injury from improvised explosive devices most often caused mild TBI (mTBI), an injury that was not always recognized and was labelled the "signature wound" of the GWOT. This has led to extensive research on objective diagnostic technologies for mTBI, the association of mTBI with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the long term consequences of mTBI. Here we summarize the key findings and most important advances from those efforts, and discuss the way forward regarding future military conflicts.
Topics: Afghan Campaign 2001-; Blast Injuries; Brain Concussion; Brain Injuries, Traumatic; Humans; Iraq War, 2003-2011; Military Personnel; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; United States
PubMed: 35451333
DOI: 10.1089/neu.2022.0103 -
Physiological Reviews Jul 1956
Topics: Blast Injuries; Explosions; Humans; Wounds and Injuries
PubMed: 13359127
DOI: 10.1152/physrev.1956.36.3.336 -
British Journal of Anaesthesia Feb 2022Injury scoring systems can be used for triaging, predicting morbidity and mortality, and prognosis in mass casualty incidents. Recent conflicts and civilian incidents... (Review)
Review
Injury scoring systems can be used for triaging, predicting morbidity and mortality, and prognosis in mass casualty incidents. Recent conflicts and civilian incidents have highlighted the unique nature of blast injuries, exposing deficiencies in current scoring systems. Here, we classify and describe deficiencies with current systems used for blast injury. Although current scoring systems highlight survival trends for populations, there are several major limitations. The reliable prediction of mortality on an individual basis is inaccurate. Other limitations include the saturation effect (where scoring systems are unable to discriminate between high injury score individuals), the effect of the overall injury burden, lack of precision in discriminating between mechanisms of injury, and a lack of data underpinning scoring system coefficients. Other factors influence outcomes, including the level of healthcare and the delay between injury and presentation. We recommend that a new score incorporates the severity of injuries with the mechanism of blast injury. This may include refined or additional codes, severity scores, or both, being added to the Abbreviated Injury Scale for high-frequency, blast-specific injuries; weighting for body regions associated with a higher risk for death; and blast-specific trauma coefficients. Finally, the saturation effect (maximum value) should be removed, which would enable the classification of more severe constellations of injury. An early accurate assessment of blast injury may improve management of mass casualty incidents.
Topics: Blast Injuries; Delivery of Health Care; Humans; Injury Severity Score; Mass Casualty Incidents; Prognosis; Time Factors; Triage
PubMed: 34774294
DOI: 10.1016/j.bja.2021.10.007 -
British Journal of Anaesthesia Mar 2017Bomb or explosion-blast injuries are likely to be increasingly encountered as terrorist activity increases and pre-hospital medical care improves. We therefore reviewed... (Review)
Review
Bomb or explosion-blast injuries are likely to be increasingly encountered as terrorist activity increases and pre-hospital medical care improves. We therefore reviewed the epidemiology, pathophysiology and treatment of primary blast lung injury. In addition to contemporary military publications and expert recommendation, an EMBASE and MEDLINE search of English speaking journals was undertaken using the medical subject headings (MeSHs) ‘blast injury’ and ‘lung injury’. Review articles, retrospective case series, and controlled animal modelling studies published since 2000 were evaluated. 6-11% of military casualties in recent conflicts have suffered primary blast lung injury but the incidence increases to more than 90% in terrorist attacks occurring in enclosed spaces such as trains. The majority of victims require mechanical ventilation and intensive care management. Specific therapies do not exist and treatment is supportive utilizing current best practice. Understanding the consequences and supportive therapies available to treat primary blast lung injury are important for anaesthetists.
Topics: Blast Injuries; Humans; Lung; Lung Injury
PubMed: 28203741
DOI: 10.1093/bja/aew385 -
Journal of the Royal Army Medical Corps Jun 2019Blast-associated traumatic brain injury (TBI) has become one of the signature issues of modern warfare and is increasingly a concern in the civilian population due to a... (Review)
Review
Blast-associated traumatic brain injury (TBI) has become one of the signature issues of modern warfare and is increasingly a concern in the civilian population due to a rise in terrorist attacks. Despite being a recognised feature of combat since the introduction of high explosives in conventional warfare over a century ago, only recently has there been interest in understanding the biology and pathology of blast TBI and the potential long-term consequences. Progress made has been slow and there remain remarkably few robust human neuropathology studies in this field. This article provides a broad overview of the history of blast TBI and reviews the pathology described in the limitedscientific studies found in the literature.
Topics: Blast Injuries; Brain Injuries, Traumatic; History, 20th Century; History, 21st Century; Humans; Military Medicine; Military Personnel
PubMed: 29326126
DOI: 10.1136/jramc-2017-000867