Trauma

Injury to living tissue caused by an external force, including blunt, penetrating, or thermal mechanisms, or a severe psychological disturbance induced by overwhelming stress, resulting in acute or chronic physical, neurovegetative, and/or psychological sequelae.

Causes

• Physical trauma

  • Blunt trauma

    • Motor vehicle collisions

    • Falls

    • Sports injuries

    • Assaults

  • Penetrating trauma

    • Stab wounds

    • Gunshot wounds

    • Foreign body injuries

  • Thermal trauma

    • Burns

    • Frostbite

    • Extreme heat or cold exposure

  • Other physical causes

    • Crush injuries

    • Explosions

    • Electrical injuries

    • Radiation exposure

• Psychological trauma

  • Severe stress exposure

  • Violence or abuse

  • Natural disasters

  • Combat exposure

  • Life-threatening events

Associated complications and sequelae

• Fractures and soft tissue injury

• Internal bleeding

• Organ damage

• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

• Anxiety and depression

• Chronic pain syndromes

• Neurovegetative disturbances