The Five Worst Injuries That Trauma Nurses See Every Day

Most of prepping is guess work as to what you will and will not need. Unless you have experienced some kind of disaster then you have to rely on others experiences and some common sense in order to know what to have on hand. This is why we felt this article on the most common injuries is helpful to preppers. If you know what the most common kinds of injuries are then you know to make sure you have them  covered in your first aid. I have eye wash solution in my first aid but I did not realize it was such a common injury. After reading this article I will upgrade my eye care in my first aid kit. I hope this article will help you make sure your first aid is properly set up.

Trauma nursing is a demanding, yet rewarding, profession. Everyday brings something different, and few cases are truly alike. Despite that there are some injuries that seem to be more common than others, and most are, sadly, completely preventable.

Eye Injury

The eyes have natural protection from injury. They are inset in depressions in the face, they have flaps of tissue, lids, that will close reflexively if something approaches, and they have long hairs along the lids to further keep objects from entering the eye. Unfortunately, evolution has been unable to keep up with modern life. More and more jobs and hobbies include power tools that cut and grind, and all of these have the potential to throw small particles towards the face faster than a person can respond. In response to this, poly-carbonate safety glasses are available almost everywhere, and they are designed to fully protect the eyes without impeding sight. Despite this, many people refuse to use them and many of those arrive in the emergency department with eye injuries.

Gunshot Wounds

Bodily trauma is frequently divided into blunt trauma and penetrating trauma. The most common cause of severe penetrating trauma seen in emergency departments today are gunshot wounds, GSW. The severity of the GSW is dependent on where it is located, how large the bullet is, and the speed it was traveling. While some GSW are accidental, it is unfortunate that most now are purposely inflicted, either in the commission of a crime, the prevention of a crime, or a suicide attempt. Despite the motive that caused the injury, these are very frequent and are completely preventable.

Blunt Trauma from Auto Accidents

The most common cause of major blunt trauma is automobile vehicle crashes, MVC. These can frequently be fatal, but because of the many safety innovations included with modern cars, the fatality rates are decreasing, but more injuries are being seen from the safety gear. Common injuries related to MVCs that are now seen are injuries to the spleen related to seat belts being worn incorrectly, and also facial burns from hot airbags. The other injuries seen depend on where the car was struck and the net speed of the accident.

Fractured Wrist

Another preventable injury that is becoming more common are fractures to the wrist because of an outstretched fall. This is the most common mechanism of wrist fracture and can be caused from a simple trip to falling from a skateboard. Wrist protectors are made for skateboarders and bicyclists that will protect from this very injury, but they are rarely used.

Bicycle or Skateboard Head Injuries

Another extremely sad and frequently fatal injury commonly seen by trauma nurses is a head injury related to a fall off of a bicycle or skateboard. Most states require motorcyclists to wear helmets, and most of them do so, but despite many statutes requiring helmets for bicycles, they are used much less. The force needed to kill a child from a head injury is frequently much less than what is incurred during a fall. The helmet is designed to shatter and absorb that force, and for this reason a helmet involved in any fall must be discarded.

Trauma, injury to the body caused by a physical mechanism, is a very common reason people visit emergency departments and an entire specialty of nurses has developed around this injury. By the nature of trauma, the injuries are varied and some are very severe and bizarre, but unfortunately some traumas are severe and very, very common. Most of these are preventable and will cause significant disruption to the patient and his family.

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Joanne Preston currently works as a trauma nurse and has seen more injuries than most people would want to see in a lifetime. She has written many helpful articles based on her work and education, and has helped to create the Career Guide For Becoming A Trauma Nurse for those who want to pursue this as a career.