[Crush Syndrome - What Should We Know in the Pre-hospital Setting?]

A crush injury (CI) is damage to bone, muscle, subcutaneous tissue, and skin caused by prolonged external pressure applied to soft tissues. In contrast, a crush syndrome (CS) is a multisystem syndrome caused by the release of toxins from injured muscle. The syndrome is also sometimes referred to as traumatic rhabdomyolysis. The pathophysiology of the syndrome involves prolonged ischemia and reperfusion injury. These processes lead to the release of toxic metabolites from the damaged muscle, resulting in hypovolemic shock, acidosis, electrolyte disturbances, acute kidney injury, and even multiple organ failure.