blast injury

Injuries that occur as a result of an explosion (blast) which produces a shock wave with rapid shifts to extremely high pressures (compression) followed by lower than ambient pressures (rarefaction).  These sudden pressure extremes can produce direct physical injury to body tissues or indirect injuries from debris or transport of bodies into other objects.  Blast injuries can range from lethal to relatively minor injuries, depending upon the multiple factors such as distance from the blast, size of the explosive charge, and animal size.  In addition to shock wave related injuries, animals can also be harmed by the high sound pressure levels of the sound wave that accompanies a blast which may produce temporary or permanent hearing loss.