What secondary injuries can occur from the rush of air after a blast?

Tertiary blast injuries are a result of individuals being propelled by the force of a blast wave. When an explosion occurs, the rush of air and the subsequent pressure change can cause people to be thrown against hard surfaces or other objects. This type of injury encompasses a wide range of physical traumas, such as fractures, contusions, or head injuries sustained from impact with the ground or nearby structures after the initial blast wave passes.

The nature of tertiary blasts underscores their significance in understanding the full scope of injuries that can arise from explosive incidents. While other types of injuries listed may also be associated with disasters, they do not directly stem from the blast's air pressure dynamics in the same way tertiary injuries do. For instance, thermal burns relate to fire or heat exposure, psychological trauma involves emotional responses, and radiation exposure pertains to nuclear blasts rather than the mechanical effects of the blast itself. Thus, tertiary blast injuries represent a specific category of harm that distinguishes them from these other potential consequences of an explosion.