Crush injuries can be deceptively dangerous

[undeterred]

(CNN) -- The injuries don't appear life-threatening. They could be wounded legs and arms, caused by being pinned under falling debris from the earthquake. But for some in Haiti, who are pulled out alive from the rubble, another medical emergency awaits them. Days later these crush injuries can cause kidney failure then death, experts say.

Kidney failure has been identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as one of the most urgent public health concerns in Haiti following the 7.0-magnitude earthquake.

"If head injuries are the hallmark of the war in Afghanistan, the Haiti earthquake will be known for crush injuries," said Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN's chief medical correspondent reporting from Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince. The condition, known as rhabdomyolysis, occurs when muscles have been crushed. The muscle ruptures, releasing its cellular content, including particles called myoglobin, into the body. These particles get caught in the kidneys.

"This myoglobin comes into the kidney and it jellifies into the tubular system that drains the urine from the kidney and it blocks the kidney," said Dr. Raymond Vanholder, a Belgian nephrologist. "As a consequence, people stop producing urine and everything that goes out in the urine comes into the body and intoxicates them." If not hydrated regularly, the person is unable to flush out the myoglobin.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/01/21/haiti.rhabdomyolysis.crush.injury/?hpt=C1

The staggering number of amputations is bad enough- but you can die if your limb is not amputated.

[lapfog_1]

1. According to some doctors on the ground there.

Most of the amputations could have been avoided with prompt treatment of the crush injuries, including cleaning the open wounds and a course of antibiotics to treat sepsis.

[undeterred]

2. I just heard they are using motrin and ibuprofen

for pain during amputations, and alcohol to sterilize instruments. Civil war medicine.

[elocs]

3. It's sad to see those who survive for so long under the rubble and are rescued

only to die from kidney failure.