When working with heavy objects of any sort, workers also face the potential risk of a crush injury. Of course, the risk is higher in some industries like construction, but it can happen to anyone at any time.
Crush injuries to the foot make up a majority of crush-related incidents, right alongside the hands. But how can a crushed foot impact the body and what does recovery look like?
Factors that impact crush injuries
Medline Plus discusses crush injuries and how they impact you. First of all, crush injuries will have different impacts based on several factors like:
- The weight of the object crushing the victim
- Where the victim suffered the crush injury
- The physical health of the victim
- How long it took to remove the object
- How quickly the victim got medical attention
The outcome tends to improve by degrees based on several factors including but not limited to: better health, less time removing the item, and a quick medical response. Fast action will often save a foot from the most severe damages.
Severe damage tied to crush injuries
But severe damage is not uncommon. When it comes to crushing injuries, this can include the possibility of amputation if too many of the bones end up pulverized beyond the point they can heal from. It may also happen in the event of tissue death when necrosis sets in. Other infections such as gangrene or even sepsis may begin to occur if too much time elapses, also necessitating amputation or even putting a victim’s life at risk.
It is important for workers to understand how to treat crush injuries in the meantime. They can help stabilize a victim until medical aid has a chance to arrive.
