Question

One of the more serious conditions that EMTs are confronted with would occur as follows:A fracture or crush injury causes bleeding and swelling within the extremity. Pressure and swelling caused by the bleeding within the muscle compartment become so great that the body can no longer perfuse the tissues against the pressure. Cellular damage occurs and causes additional swelling. Blood flow to the area is lost. The limb itself may be lost if the pressure is not relieved.What is this condition called?

A. Compartment syndromeB. Perfusing syndromeC. Crushing syndromeD. Fracture syndrome

Answer 1

a. compartment syndrome - that’s when the blood flow is cut off to the extremity, often due to swelling. if this is not taken care of, the limb can die and amputation may be necessary.