Blast Physics and Biophysics

Injuries from explosions can be caused by multiple mechanisms of energy-coupling to the body. These include blast overpressure (primary blast injury), fragments (secondary blast injury), whole body translocation, etc. These multimechanistic, multisystem injuries characterize and differentiate injury from explosion from other causes of injury. This chapter explains the physics of blast events and reviews how the features of a blast influence the nature and severity of commonly found injuries from explosions. Specific emphasis is placed on understanding the impact of the environment in which the blast occurs, including open air, inside a vehicle, and underwater.