Injuries due to shockwave produced by bomb blast
A bomb explosion produces a shockwave that is composed of a high pressure wave followed by a negative pressure wave. Pressure exceeding 700 kilopascals (100lb/sq inch) is necessary to produce serious injury to the body.
- person can be thrown away due to the force of the blast, causing blunt force trauma
- shockwave passing through the body mainly injures non homogenous tissues like lung, whereas homogenous tissues such as liver and muscle are spared
Blast lung: Injury to the lung produced as a result of the shockwave passing through the body
- subpleural patchy hemorrhages
- rupture of alveolar septa
- intrapulmonary hemorrhage
- desquamation of alveolar and bronchial epithelium
- pulmonary edema
- bronchopneumonia
Other injuries
- subperitoneal hemorrhages
- lacerations of viscera
- rupture of stomach, intestine
- intracranial hemorrhage
- brain contusion
- injury to heart, aorta
- pneumothorax
- air embolism – can be cause of death
