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Internal soft-tissue injuries may result from deep wounds, blunt trauma, blast exposure, crushing accidents, bone fracture, poison, or sickness. They may range in seriousness from a simple bruise to life-threatening hemorrhage and shock.
Visible indications of internal soft-tissue injury include the following:
- Vomiting or coughing up bright red blood.
- Excretion of tarry black stools.
- Excretion of bright red blood from the rectum.
- Passing of blood in the urine.
- Nonmenstrual vaginal bleeding.
- Nosebleed.
- Pooling of the blood near the skin surface.
More often than not, however, there will be no visible signs of injury, and you will have to infer the probability of internal soft-tissue injury from other symptoms such as the following:
- Pale, moist, clammy skin.
- Subnormal temperature.
- Rapid, feeble pulse.
- Falling blood pressure.
- Tinnitus (ringing in the ears).
- Fainting.
- Dehydration and thirst.
- Yawning and air hunger.
First aid’s goal must be to obtain the greatest benefit from the victim’s remaining blood supply. The following steps should be taken:
- Treat for shock.
- Keep the victim warm and at rest.
- DO NOT give the victim anything to drink
- Splint injured extremities.
- Apply cold compresses (ice packs) to identifiable injured areas.
- Transport the victim to a medical treatment facility as soon as possible.
