The radiological management of bomb blast injury

Abstract

A need to understand the nature and patterns of bomb blast injury, particularly in confined spaces, has come to the fore with the current worldwide threat from terrorism. The purpose of this review article is to familiarize the radiologist with the imaging they might expect to see in a mass casualty terrorist event, illustrated by examples from two of the main institutions receiving patients from the London Underground tube blasts of 7 July 2005. We present examples of injuries that are typical in blast victims, as well as highlighting some blast sequelae that might also be found in other causes of multiple trauma. This should enable the radiologist to seek out typical injuries, including those that may not be initially clinically apparent. Terror-related injuries are often more severe than those seen in other trauma cases, and multi-system trauma at distant anatomical sites should be anticipated. We highlight the value of using a standardized imaging protocol to find clinically undetected traumatic effects and include a discussion on management of multiple human and non-human flying fragments. This review also discusses the role of radiology in the management and planning for a mass casualty terrorist incident and the optimal deployment of radiographic services during such an event.