Which injury type is caused by being thrown into another object after an explosion?

• A. Primary Blast Injuries
• B. Secondary Blast Injuries
• C. Tertiary Blast Injuries
• D. Quaternary Blast Injuries

Answer: (C)

In a blast, injuries are grouped by how the energy from the explosion affects the body. The propulsion of a person by the blast wind, causing them to be thrown and crash into another object, is a tertiary blast injury. This mechanism leads to blunt trauma from impacts with surfaces or objects (such as fractures, head injuries, or internal contusions) rather than from pressure waves alone or from flying debris. Primary injuries come from the blast overpressure affecting hollow or air-filled organs, secondary injuries come from shrapnel or debris penetrating the body, and quaternary injuries include burns, inhalation injuries, or other explosion-related effects. So being thrown into another object after an explosion fits tertiary blast injuries because the damage stems from the body’s propulsion and subsequent blunt trauma.