The Effects of Explosions on Humans

In action movies, the bad guy presses the button, the bomb erupts, and the good guy gets catapulted through the air, landing about 30 feet away. Flames leap high in the air, and the good guy manages to get up and keep walking. This is classic Hollywood imagery, but complete fiction. When actual bombs go off, there is almost no flame, but rather a burst, and much more substantial damage done to people nearby.

Blast Waves

• Blast waves cause severe damage to the ears lungs and stomach. Depending on the power of the blast, and the distance it is from the victim, he may experience hearing loss or even complete rupture of the eardrum or other gaseous organs. If a victim is wearing armor, it may be ineffective as some blast waves' force affects the body internally rather than on its surface.

Penetration

• If forceful waves from the blast don't injure a bystander, he may still be injured by blunt force from debris ejected by the explosive. Shrapnel from the device itself, as well as debris in the area, can be a life-threatening weapon. Since it travels at supersonic speeds, there is no dodging this force.

Tertiary Blast Injuries

• Tertiary injuries include burns, radiation, and injury from falling debris. These types of injuries mostly occur to victims who are indoors and away from the blast. Problems from structure collapse and smoke inhalation are common.

Pulmonary and Gastrointestinal Damage

• Internal injuries can be severe, but harder to assess than obvious wounds. For this reason, explosion survivors should be checked repeatedly in the span of 24 hours. Breathing patterns should be monitored. Shortness of breath may occur, which suggests lung damage. When gastrointestinal damage happens, symptoms like tenderness of the abdomen and rectal bleeding will occur.