Writing Traumatic Injuries References
So, pretty frequently writers screw up when they write about injuries. People are clonked over the head, pass out for hours, and wake up with just a headacheā¦ Eragon breaks his wrist and itās just fine within daysā¦ Wounds heal with nary a scar, everā¦
Iām aiming to fix that.
Here are over 100 links covering just about every facet of traumatic injuries (physical, psychological, long-term), focusing mainly on burns, concussions, fractures, and lacerations. Now you can beat up your characters properly!
GENERAL RESOURCES
WebMDĀ //Ā Mayo Clinic first aidĀ //Ā Mayo Clinic diseasesĀ //Ā First AidĀ
PubMed: The source for biomedical literature
Diagrams: Veins (towards heart), arteries (away from heart) bones, nervous system, brainĀ
BURNS
General overviewĀ //Ā Burn severity: Including how to estimate body area affected //Ā Burns: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd degrees //Ā Smoke inhalationĀ //Ā Smoke inhalation treatmentĀ //Ā Chemical burnsĀ //Ā Hot tar burnsĀ //Ā SunburnsĀ
INCISIONS & LACERATIONS
Essentials of Repair (including stitching techniques) //Ā When to stitch (Journal articleāDoctors apparently usually go by experience on this) //Ā More about when to stitchĀ (Simple guide for moms) //Ā Basic wound treatmentĀ //Ā Incision vs. lacerationĀ //Ā Types of lacerationsĀ (tw!) //Ā How to stop bleeding: 1, 2, 3Ā //Ā Puncture woundsĀ + risks of infectionĀ //Ā More about puncture woundsĀ //Ā Wound assessment: colour of the flesh, different fluids from a wound, etc. //Ā Home treatment of gunshot wound, also basicsĀ //Ā More about gunshot wounds, including medical procedures //Ā Tourniquet use: Controversy around it, latest research //Ā Location pain chart: Originally intended for tattoo pain
General note: Deeper=more serious. Elevate wounded limb so that gravity draws blood towards heart. Scalp wounds also bleed a lot but tend to be superficial. If itās dirty, risk infection. If it hits the digestive system and you donāt die immediately, infectionāll probably kill you. Donāt forget the possibility of tetanus! If a wound is positioned such that movement would cause the wound to gape open (i.e. horizontally across the knee) itās harder to keep it closed and may take longer for it to heal.
BROKEN BONES
Types of fracturesĀ //Ā Setting a broken boneĀ //Ā Healing time of common fracturesĀ //Ā Broken wristsĀ //Ā Broken ankles/feetĀ //Ā Fractured vertebrae: Neck (1, 2), backĀ //Ā Types of castsĀ //Ā SplintsĀ //Ā Fracture complicationsĀ //Ā Broken nosesĀ //Ā Broken digits: Fingers and toes
General notes: If itās a compound fracture (bone poking through) good luck fixing it on your own. If the bone is in multiple pieces, surgery is necessary to fix itāprobably canāt reduce (āsetā) it from the outside. Older people heal more slowly. Itās possible for bones to āhealā crooked and cause long-term problems and joint pain. Consider damage to nearby nerves, muscle, and blood vessels.Ā
CONCUSSIONS
General overviewĀ //Ā Types of concussions 1, 2Ā //Ā Concussion complicationsĀ //Ā Mild Brain Injuries: > Grade 3 //Ā Post-concussion syndromeĀ //Ā Second impact syndrome: When a second blow delivered before recovering from the initial concussion has catastrophic effects. //Ā Recovering from a concussionĀ //Ā SymptomsĀ //Ā Whiplash
General notes: If you pass out, even for a few seconds, itās serious. If you have multiple concussions over a lifetime, they will be progressively more serious. Symptoms can linger.
CHARACTER REACTION
Shock (general) //Ā Physical shock: 1, 2Ā //Ā Fight-or-flight response: 1, 2Ā //Ā Long-term emotional trauma: 1 (Includes symptoms), 2Ā //First aid for emotional trauma
TREATMENT
Drugs:Ā WebMD painkiller guideĀ &Ā Herbs:Ā 1, 2, 3, 4
MISCELLANY
Snake bites: No, you donāt suck the venom out or apply tourniquettes //Ā FrostbiteĀ // Frostbite treatmentĀ //Ā Severe frostbite treatmentĀ //Ā When frostbite sets in: A handy chart for how long your characters have outside at various temperatures and wind speeds before they get frostbitten //Ā First aid myths: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. //Ā Poisons: Why inducing vomiting is a bad idea //Ā Poisonous plants
Dislocations: Symptoms 1, 2; treatment. General notes: Repeated dislocations of same joint may lead to permanent tissue damage and may cause or be symptomatic of weakened ligaments. Docs recommend against trying to reduce (put back) dislocated joint on your own, though information about how to do it is easily found online.
Muscular strainsĀ //Ā Joint sprainĀ //Ā Resuscitation after near-drowning: 1, 2Ā //Ā Current CPR practices: No more mouth-to-mouth. //Ā The DSM IV, for all your mental illness needs.Ā
ELECTRICAL SHOCK
Human response to electrical shock: Includes handy-dandy voltage chart //Ā TāVĀ // Evaluation protocol for electric shock injuryĀ //Ā Neurological complicationsĀ //Ā Electrical and lightning injuryĀ //Ā Cardiac complicationsĀ //Ā Delayed effects and a good general summary
Acquired savant syndrome: Brain injuries (including a lightning strike) triggering development of amazing artistic and other abilitiesĀ
Please donāt repost! You can find the original document (also created by me) here.
