ABSTRACT
The severity, extent and appearance of blunt trauma injuries depend on the following: the amount of force delivered to the body, the time over which the force is delivered, the region struck, and the nature of the weapon. Injuries and their treatment can lead to cardiac decompensation in patients with heart disease, cerebral damage during shock, uremia in patients with chronic renal disease or even delirium tremens in alcoholics. Blunt force injuries fall into four categories: abrasions, contusions, lacerations, and fractures of the skeletal system. An abrasion is an injury to the skin in which there is removal of the superficial epithelial layer of the skin by friction against a rough surface, or destruction of the superficial layers by compression. Contusions may be present not only in skin, but also in internal organs, such as the lung, heart, brain and muscle.
